


time, mystical time // cutting me open, then healing me fine

by killerleo



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, a lot of fluff in this, seblaine in LA because NY is tired now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:20:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25737931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerleo/pseuds/killerleo
Summary: a divorced, unemployed, 26 year old blaine finds himself back in ohio for the reopening of dalton academy, going from crashing with his brother in la to sam back in lima. old friends, old memories, and old 'what-if's' resurface, a certain familiar face helping to drag him out of his funk and breathe life back into him.~a post-canon fic to fix the mess they gave us :)
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Sebastian Smythe
Comments: 16
Kudos: 91





	time, mystical time // cutting me open, then healing me fine

**Author's Note:**

> title from 'invisible string' by taylor swift
> 
> a post canon fic ignoring the lil flash forward they did as no klaine baby here :))
> 
> something that is mainly just fluff once you get past the beginning tbh, with the explicit rating for a few smut scenes just to warn. 
> 
> all my love and devotion to @himbosamevans for both bullying me to write this and beta checking it, removing all the weird bracketed notes i leave myself which would make you all worry for me - quinn u r legend
> 
> hope you enojy!!! please feel free to leave comments down below xxx

Blaine never thought he’d see a day where Dalton was burnt to the ground, and he never thought he’d see the day where it was built back up again.

He shouldn’t have been surprised, not really, when all of its alumni were wealthy and successful, and all so proud of the school that shaped them, that donating money to have it reshaped, brick by brick, wasn’t a hardship. It was a place that had given so much to so many people, from music, to academia, to sports, and most of all _safety_.

Dalton was the one place where he had felt protected and secure, so when those walls that had seemed like a stronghold had come burning down, it was a part of his childhood and a fantasy that had crumbled as well. Kurt had understood, to an extent, but Dalton had never been a home for him, so it was different. The school had brought them together, and that was what was important to him, but for Blaine it was so much more; it was the Warblers, his friends, his love for music and learning, in a place that nurtured and cared for him, as well as admired and celebrated him, if maybe a little _too_ much.

Six years passed from its destruction to its rebirth, and Blaine felt like the school mirrored him, in that way.

He had found out about the fire on his honeymoon, and he found out about it reopening a month after his divorce finalised. 

Things with Kurt had been hard for a while, nostalgia and stubbornness keeping them together when they both knew that it wasn’t working. They cared about one another, had given each other everything, had even talked about starting a family together, but it was like trying to force two puzzle pieces together that didn’t fit even though they had tried every conversation possible. 

Divorce had only come after a year of non stop fighting, and trying, and crying, and slamming doors and broken voices until neither one of them could take anymore, take what they had been doing to themselves. Blaine cared about Kurt, and he had loved him once, but it wasn’t what it used to be; they’d been kidding themselves for a long time thinking it was. 

And so when Nick called him, told him about Dalton, about the alumni event, and how they were all going back to celebrate it’s reopening, it felt like a part of his life finally started to make sense again, the pieces start to fit back together. He had been happy at Mckinley - to an extent. It gave him Sam and Tina, and memories that he would treasure for the rest of his life, but it hadn’t been Dalton.

He left where he’d been crashing with Cooper in LA for the past few months and flew to Ohio, with no specific return flight booked. Since leaving Kurt he had uprooted his whole life, after realising he had shaped it all around his husband, and didn’t even know what _he_ had wanted, and he was still trying to figure it all out. It was like last time, after their called off engagement, but he hadn’t had the Warblers to come back and coach, so instead turned to his brother, who had been surprisingly welcoming. 

After college he wanted to go into teaching, he had his degree, had the passion, the determination to do it. Things had gotten derailed when he and Kurt decided to do a play together, and whilst it had been fun, it hadn’t been _him_ , and he never found his way to a classroom after that. Now, he was trying to find somewhere to teach, somewhere to live, some place that he wanted to be, not what Kurt wanted. 

Being back in Ohio, he had debated going to stay with his parents for the trip, but at 26 years old he’d decided against it, accepting Sam’s offer of his spare room for the duration of his stay. He had missed his best friend, and this gave him more freedom and relaxation, as well as the excuse to kick his ass at Mario Kart whilst drinking beer and eating takeaways, which would’ve been slightly frowned up by his parents. 

Sam picked him up from the airport with a long hug, a slap on the back and a big grin, driving them in his car to his apartment, that was the perfect mix of mess and dorkiness that was just so _Sam_. They stayed up til late, swapping stories and catching up, drinking cheap beer and reminiscing, and Blaine found himself sleeping better than he had done in months. 

~

He spent too long picking out his clothes, even when he’d arranged what to bring so carefully he still couldn’t decide on an outfit; everything seemed too formal or too casual, too old or too young, like he was trying too hard or being lazy. 

It was ridiculous; he was seeing his old friends and a few old professors, but he also knew there would be questions and expectations, and he was a 26 year old unemployed divorcee. Yeah. Everyone at Dalton had borderline worshipped him, and there he was: a disappointment, a failure, a nothing compared to all their success. 

Nick worked for Google, Jeff had finished up his PhD program, Trent owned an art gallery and Wes ran multiple businesses. He knew that Thad worked in a hospital, David in law enforcement and even Beatz was in a high level management position. Dalton produced successful young men, so it was probably good that he never graduated from there.

As he slid on his jacket and chinos, Blaine thought about Sebastian.

There was no bad blood between the two of them, and there hadn’t been for a long time. He knew that after Dalton he had returned to Paris for a year, and then back to the States afterwards, although that was all. He kept in touch with some of the Warblers but not Blaine, and he didn’t blame him. They had been friends in school, but Blaine had often taken advantage of their friendship, speaking to him when he wanted someone to talk to, but not always wanting to listen back. 

And Sebastian had always hated Kurt, and he didn’t think he ever forgave him for marrying him.

He pushed thoughts of the ex captain out of his head, focusing on the positives and the benefits of this reunion; it was a chance to see everyone again, as well as to celebrate the school they all loved, and that was important. Sam had offered to go with him, some kind of moral support he didn’t know he needed, but this was something he needed to do by himself. Everyone had been tentative and wary around him for a while, so he had to go and conquer this by himself, without some bodyguard or barrier. 

His best friend had been out for a while when he left, running some extra glee rehearsals maybe -- Sam was always going the extra mile -- so he locked up the apartment and got in his car, the drive to Dalton feeling so familiar yet so alien. It had been his home when he was a teenager, and then again 6 years ago, so it felt like returning to comfort and fellowship.

The route was shorter than he remembered, pulling up in the car park feeling almost like a memory being replayed. The school looked exactly the same, brick for brick, the same almost regal quality and dignified air to it, with sweeping grounds and shaped hedges, as if just copied and pasted into the same spot. 

A plethora of cars already filled the lot - most of them ridiculously expensive looking - as Blaine knew he was running on the later side thanks to his slight wardrobe indecision. He pulled himself out the car, breathing deeply before heading to the grounds, hearing the sounds of chatter and laughter spreading over from the lacrosse pitch where alumni were gathered, drinks in hand.

He had texted Nick before he left, and he knew that his old group of Warbler friends were all going, so he craned his neck to look out for familiar faces, not wanting to have to do an awkward lap around the field looking for them. Over by the bleachers there was a bleached blond head of hair that could only be Jeff, so he grinned and made his way over, spotted about halfway by them all. 

Thad lifted his hands to his mouth and started cheering, prompting the rest to turn and stare, starting their own chants and whistles. Nick ran over and grabbed him in a tight hug, the rest of his friends following. 

“Oh man, it is good to see you, Anderson! You’ve been hiding from us for far too long,” Nick exclaimed, voice muffled against his shoulder. He pulled back and ruffled Blaine’s hair, teeth bared and eyes glinting, before being shoved aside by Jeff who then yanked Blaine into another hug.

He spent a few minutes greeting everyone, being touched more than he had been in months, tightly embracing all his old friends until his face hurt from smiling so much, the muscles unaccustomed to being used again. A drink was put in his hand along with a program that was being given out, detailing lists of donors and benefactors, as well as the gruelling design and building process over the past few years.

Speaking to the Warblers brought him right back to his old self, their goofiness and hilarity that made him feel like a schoolboy again, Nick and Beatz roughhousing, Jeff telling god awful puns, and Wes just generally looking like he wanted to hit every one of them. Blaine felt a lack of tension in his shoulders that hadn’t been felt for a while.

~

“And then I told Hunter, if that cat came anywhere near me again I’d report it for war crimes and give it to a shelter,” Nick finished, after detailing a particularly entertaining story involving Mr Puss and a pair of trousers, that had everyone in stitches and horror. 

“Oh, look who finally decided to grace us with his presence,” Trent announced with an endeared eye roll, glancing over Blaine’s shoulder, the rest of them turning to look. 

“There’s the bastard that still owes me 10 bucks!” shouted Jeff with glee, tossing up a middle finger and cackling at whoever was walking their way. Blaine craned his head around wanting to see who was coming, and nearly fell over where he was standing when he saw Sebastian Smythe striding his way towards them.

The last 6 years had done him good, that was safe to say. He had filled out a little, still long and lean but not really lanky, his shoulders broadened and arms bigger, a few more laugh lines on his face but only ones that made him more handsome. And handsome he was; that same gorgeous face that made knees weak and boys blush, his green eyes sparkling even from where he was a few metres away. 

He was wearing a tailored suit, no tie, just a blazer, shirt, and trousers, but it was practically made for his body; elongating his legs, broadening his shoulders and tucking in his waist, hair a perfectly disheveled coif on his head that was clearly styled to not look styled. Sebastian had always been attractive, even when Blaine had never wanted to admit it to himself, but now he was sinfully handsome, and he couldn’t drag his eyes away. 

Nick went past him to go and greet the other man, the two exchanging a brief hug and grin, and Blaine felt Jeff kick his leg and laugh at him, his ogling clearly not gone unnoticed. He turned away and coughed a little, hoping that he wouldn’t be blushing or doing anything else embarrassing -- well, nothing more embarrassing than practically drooling anyway.

“Smythe, I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show up, even though we all know you cried yourself to sleep when this place burnt down,” Thad laughed, ducking out the way of the swat of the hand directed at him. 

“Please, I wouldn’t miss a chance to see all your faces and make me feel better about myself, it’s the highlight of my year,” Sebastian replied cheekily, making his way to join them all, and then going around in greeting when they all settled down.

He reached Blaine, moving his arms as if going to hug him but then thinking better of it, settling on a warm smile instead that was a far cry from his signature high school smirk, but his eyes still twinkled the same.

“Hey, killer, glad to see you could make it,” Sebastian said lightly, stopping in front of him so it was clearly just a two person conversation. Blaine tried not to love the way he had to tilt his head slightly to talk to him. 

“Wouldn’t miss it, not for Dalton. This place means a lot to me,” he shrugged, not wanting to come off overly emotional but not wanting to diminish the event. “I’m surprised you’re here, I always thought it may have been you that lit that match.”

He was teasing, and Sebastian could tell, the way he laughed deep in his throat and eyes creased made Blaine smile as well, loving this new, more relaxed version of his friend in front of him, one who didn’t seem like he was constantly in competition with himself and everyone around him. 

“Well I probably thought about it at one point, but I hate to admit that I actually kind of enjoyed it here, even though it made me have to look at Duval every day,” Sebastian replied, hands shrugging into his pockets and rocking back on his feet. He looked so effortlessly handsome it was hard for Blaine to even compute what he was saying. 

“How are you doing, anyway? You’ve kind of been a mystery to me, Smythe,” Blaine said, taking a swig from his drink but keeping eye contact, eager to keep this conversation going.

Sebastian winked at him jokingly, accepting a drink from David who passed them. “Oh, you know, being devastatingly handsome, ending world hunger, being gay and single, the usual.” Blaine shoved at his arm and chuckled, asking him to be serious. 

“Went to law school, now I work in a firm in LA, living out on my own; honestly, not anything too exciting,” Sebastian revealed with a shrug, as if going to law school wasn’t a big deal. 

“I’m actually in LA at the moment, as well. I’m staying with my brother.” It wasn’t as fancy as Sebastian’s story, but Blaine felt weirdly happy that they were sort of close to each other; practically neighbors compared to the distance he had with the other Warblers. “I’m looking for a teaching position, but kind of want to get my own place first,” he admitted, unsure the amount of detail he wanted to go into at an event which was supposed to be a celebration. 

Sebastian bit his lip a bit, looking surprisingly tentative for him. “Yeah, uh, Duval told me about the divorce. I’m sorry to hear it.”

Blaine just snorted at him over the rim of his cup, pleased at his attempt to be nice, but it was so false it was funny. “You don’t need to pretend, Sebastian, I know you hate Kurt nearly as much as he hates you. Nearly.” His ex husband really did despise him, even nearly a decade later. 

“Ok, yeah, I think Hummel is a waste of space, but still I’m sorry you had to go through all that; it doesn’t exactly sound fun. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not gonna lie and say that I’m sad you’re out of that relationship, because I am definitely not, but I don’t want you to be hurting.”

It was surprisingly genuine and thoughtful, Sebastian’s blunt honesty as direct as ever, and he was pleased to not be treated with kid gloves like so many people did. “It’s...It’s not always easy, but it’s ok, I think,” he said after a short pause. “It hadn’t been working for so long that honestly, it’s mainly just a relief. I feel like I did my mourning when we were still together.”

That seemed to please Sebastian, who gave him another warm smile, before Nick and Jeff butted in and dragged the two of them into their conversation, which was basically detailing which Warbler would come out on top in a battle royale. 

The next few hours passed seamlessly, moving around speaking to various different people, both alumni and professors, reconnecting with familiar faces and learning some new ones, but he mainly spent the time with Sebastian by his side. He had forgotten how easy it could be to speak to him, playful banter flowing, the occasional flirtatious remark thrown in that made it feel like old times, but mainly just made Blaine feel wanted for once, even if it was a joke. 

Sebastian was still single as he discovered, although he had actually had a relationship a few years ago, which was new for him, but he’d been out of that for over a year now, living alone and mainly just working. He’d stayed in LA after going to law school in Stanford a few hours away, moving across the state to a firm there and staying, liking the style and feel of the place.

Blaine admitted he liked it there too, as, although he loved New York, it had always felt more of Kurt’s dream. He cherished his time at NYU and wouldn’t give it up for the world, but that’s what it was: his college years, exploring the city and loving the life, but it wasn’t where he saw himself full time. Staying with Cooper, he found he actually enjoyed the feel of LA more than he thought he would, and wasn’t hating the idea of going back there. Although, if he had to stay with his brother much longer, he would probably be inclined to homicide sooner rather than later.

They caught up about everything, from families to college to tv and music, exchanging dumb drunken stories and awful dates, laughing and chatting away for hours. Blaine found Sebastian’s company both exhilarating and calming, as he still had that sharp tongue but spoke so honestly that it was refreshing, so similar yet so different to high school. He had loved speaking to him back then, as he was confident and out there, complimentary yet often critical, with such a unique energy it was enthralling.

Now he was that but amplified, as well as toned down in all the areas that mattered. There were still snarky comments and quick insults, but not used to attack anyone, just a dry sense of humour that Blaine couldn’t help but love. He didn’t even notice how late it had gotten until the wind picked up slowly and some of his friends started to leave, promising to meet up again in the minimal amount of days some of them were still in town. 

Just he and Sebastian remained, the two of them slowly walking towards the parking lot, hands in pockets, in no rush as getting there meant leaving, which meant saying goodbye. 

“How long are you in town?” he found himself asking, trying to keep his voice as casual as possible. Sebastian glanced down at him with an unreadable expression, coat wrapped tightly around himself in the chilly air of early evening. 

“Two more days. I managed to take a long weekend so it wasn’t just an in and out trip; that seemed like a waste of money.”

Two days wasn’t long at all, and even though they were returning to the same city Blaine knew the likelihood of them seeing each other outside of the nostalgic confinement of Lima was slim, which probably prompted him to make the next comment:

“I’m staying with Sam, do you wanna come back and have a drink?” he asked, words sort of spilling out his mouth whilst he played with the hem of his jacket. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him, his lips quirking up to a resemblance of a smirk but as if he was trying to fight it off.

“Blowjobs lips? You trying to invite me to a threesome, Anderson?” he teased, laughing as Blaine reached out to punch his arm. 

“You wish, Smythe,” he huffed as he dug his car keys out his pockets. “Just - we probably won’t get much of a chance to catch up again, and I’ve had a nice time today. You don’t have to if you don’t want to…” he trailed off, suddenly feeling a little insecure in his suggestion, worried he was coming off too strong even when all he really wanted was to keep talking. 

“No, no, I want to, it sounds nice. You can say all the mean things about your ex husband you feel too shy to say to anyone else, and I’ll list off the top 10 worst things I’ve seen him wear, it’ll be like we’re high school girls,” Sebastian replied with a twinkle in his eye as they arrived at his car, his own keys in hand. “And when I say high school girls, I mean Nick and Jeff; those two fuckers gossip like no tomorrow.”

Blaine chuckled and stared at his feet, still enjoying their playful banter. “Alright, it’s not too far from here, you ok to follow me in your car?” Sebastian gave a mock salute and a wink, and they bid their temporary goodbyes before heading to their separate cars. 

~

“No way did you actually spend a week making felt puppets; that’s some kinky shit, Anderson,” Sebastian laughed, his face both shocked and impressed as they sat on the couch, both with a leg up and knees pressed together. 

Blaine could feel his face ache from laughing, and he waved a hand as he took a sip from his wine glass. “It wasn’t a sex thing! God no, I was just in a weird headspace that’s all, it wasn’t like I _did_ anything with them,” he sputtered. He got a completely disbelieving look from Sebastian who just raised his eyebrows and mouthed “okay” at him, chuckling over the rim of his own glass. 

Sam had been out when they arrived at the apartment, so the two of them had grabbed a bottle of wine and gone to the sofa, starting off sat normally a fair distance apart, but as they got more comfortable they had inched closer together slightly. Nothing inappropriate -- he would probably sit closer with Sam -- but Sebastian’s arm round the back of the couch sometimes brushed his shoulder, and his foot sometimes rested on his thigh. It was a casual intimacy that he hadn’t felt in so long, and it felt so good to begin to just melt into the couch, fully relaxed and comfortable.

He didn’t even know what time it was when the front door opened, Sam pushing in holding a bag of groceries even though it was pretty much nighttime, but his friend had always operated on a different schedule. 

“Blaine, I’m home! How was the prep boy reunion?” Sam called out through the apartment as he headed to the kitchen, not noticing there was another person in there with him. “Do you want any dinner? I'm kinda hungry.”

Sebastian had an amused look on his face, lip quirking up as he was half sprawled out on the sofa, and he nodded at Blaine to signify yes, he was hungry. Typical that he should be around two men with ridiculous appetites. He groaned and got off of the couch, rolling his eyes at Sebastian’s victorious look and made his way to the kitchen, following the sound of Sam noisily putting away groceries. 

“Hey, B, I was gonna order a pizza or something; I honestly can’t be bothered to cook any of this,” his best friend said as he gestured at the ingredients in front of him, grabbing a beer from the fridge. “How was the Dalton thing, though? I can tell by your purple lips you’ve been drinking wine, so it was either really good or really bad.” 

Blaine brought a hand up to his mouth as if to wipe off the stains, even if that was a bit fruitless. “Um, really good actually. If you could actually, uh, order enough pizza for three people that would be great…” He trailed off as Sam’s eyes widened a little, a shit eating grin spreading on his face.

“Dude, do you have someone back here? Fuck yeah, my guy, which one is it? I always thought that blond and brunet were gay but like, doing each other, so maybe not them, what about that Asian guy-”

“Sam, Jesus, I didn’t bring back a hook up, it’s just Sebastian; we’ve been catching up a bit, he’s just here to chat,” Blaine interrupted, before he could hear any more details about which Warblers he’d be most likely to get off with. He felt himself blush a little when Sam’s eyebrows raised at the mention of Sebastian, but if his friend had any judgements he didn’t say anything, which he was relieved about.

“Thought you said it wasn’t a hook up, but I’m pretty sure that guy has wanted to bang you for like 10 years now,” he said after a pause, eyeing Blaine with curiosity, but no shame. “But hey, mi casa es su casa, I’ll order an extra pizza, and I can go to my room if you want some privacy…?”

Blaine snorted at Sam’s waggling eyebrows and chucked an apple sat abandoned on the counter at him. “No privacy required, thank you very much. It would be cool if you hung out with us though, he’s a nice guy.” He’d always hoped the Warblers and the New Directions could get along, and even though he’d always thought it would be Sam and Nick that ended up being friends, this could be a good starting point at least. 

“Alright, I’ll go to my room, get changed and order it. I’ll see you in a minute,” Sam said with a nod and a pat on the back, before jogging to his room. Blaine turned and headed back to the living room, where Sebastian was still comfortable on the sofa, phone in his hand and absentmindedly scrolling. 

“He’s gonna order pizza for us, so don’t worry, you’re not gonna end up starving to death whilst you’re here,” Blaine teased as he flopped down next to him, picking up his wine glass from where it had been on the coffee table. If he sat down a little closer than he had been before, that was just a coincidence. 

“He isn't going to like, hit me or anything, will he?” Sebastian asked with a hint of amusement, but also a look of genuine concern which shouldn’t have been as adorable as it was. “I’m not exactly a saint now, but I was a grade A asshole back when we met, so I probably wouldn’t blame him.”

Blaine chuckled warmly, lightly shoving at Sebastian’s knee. “Sam is the least judgemental, friendliest person I know, I think you’re safe here. Also, he never really liked the idea of me and Kurt as married, so you can bond over that.” His marriage had been the one thing he and Sam had ever really disagreed on, as whilst his best friend supported him in what he did, he was never shy about admitting he thought it was a mistake. 

“Oh, ok, well you can leave then, Evans sounds way more fun than you, purple lips,” Sebastian teased back, prodding a finger into Blaine’s side and laughing, his throat exposed as his top few buttons were undone, revealing just a sliver of collarbone. Blaine really couldn’t help but look at it. 

They kept chatting for a while, Sebastian telling him about some cases at work that Blaine nodded at and pretended to understand, just happy to hear him talk, until the sound of Sam running through the apartment to the front door cut them off. He then appeared in the living room, stack of pizza in hand and grinning widely, walking over to place the boxes on the coffee table and sit in the chair opposite Blaine, one leg slung over the side. 

“Help yourselves,” Sam said, waving his hand at the food. “Hey man, nice to see you,” he then offered to Sebastian, giving him a quick once over and a nod, before reaching over to grab a slice. 

“You too, how’s McKinley treating you?” Sebastian replied, slipping into conversation as easily as ever, his natural charisma working as well here and it had done all those years ago. Sam smiled at the mention of his job, and he launched into talking about the glee club, discussing set lists and choreography, his passion for the kids and his jobs unmatched. 

Blaine sat back a little and watched the two of them chat, kind of surprised at how well it was all going. Seeing Sebastian again had been so easy, as if they hadn’t spent years apart, and he found himself enjoying his company more than he ever thought he would. He and Sam seemed to get along well enough, as well, both getting through a large amount of food and chatting away, despite being pretty different people. 

“You’re telling me that you think Revenge of the Sith isn’t one of your favourites? Dude, you’re lying to yourself.”

“The prequels are hated for a reason, Evans, and that reason is that they suck. The Force Awakens is a million fucking times better than that chaotic mindfuck of a film.”

Blaine blinked a few times, clearly the wine getting to him a bit as he zoned back into the conversation, which he had apparently been paying no attention to seeing as they had somehow got onto the topic of Star Wars.

Sebastian turned to him and put a hand on his knee, which really wasn’t going to help with the whole concentration thing. “Anderson, you agree with me that the prequels deserve no rights, don’t you?” Both he and Sam were staring at him expectantly, faces so serious he couldn’t help but burst out laughing. 

“God, I never realised you were such a dork, Seb,” he laughed, his cackling just getting worse when he was received with such an affronted expression.

“Fuck off, I’m not a dork. Star Wars is a very popular franchise, you dick,” Sebastian replied with a furrowed brow in mock annoyance, swatting him with the back of his hand. “At least I’ve never publicly serenaded a GAP employee and then gotten them fired.” His eyes gleamed and he gave such a satisfied grin, Blaine’s jaw dropping open because _how_ did he even know about that?”

“Jesus, Blaine, you did what? You gotta stop serenading people with songs, dude,” Sam exclaimed as he laughed into his beer, ducking the pillow Blaine chucked his way. 

“Who told you about that, you weren’t even fucking there,” he hissed at Sebastian who had leaned back into the sofa a bit more, cockily sitting with his legs apart. 

He gave a nonchalant shrug and a wink, trying to look innocent - but Sebastian had never looked innocent a day in his life. “Get the Warblers drunk and they’ll say anything. Nick has a big mouth.”

Sam was laughing to himself in the corner, and before he knew it, the three of them were swapping old show choir memories between them, both ones from Dalton and McKinley, he and Sam filling Sebastian in with all the absolutely insane stuff that went down in the New Directions and receiving stories about the Warblers, particularly Hunter, in return. 

It was fairly cathartic, the Michael incident of junior year was briefly mentioned but not dwelled on, Blaine having forgiven Sebastian years ago for that, and they instead focused on more positive and entertaining memories, getting through another bottle of wine and all the food disappearing. 

A loud yawn from Sam cut off Sebastian’s story about Hunter walking his cat, the blond in the corner starting to let his eyes droop a little. 

“Dude, go to bed, you’ve been out all day and it’s late,” Blaine said to him, aware that his friend spent so much extra time at McKinley helping out that he was sort of draining himself, today being no exception. Sam groaned and looked as though he was gonna argue, but then seemed to just give up and nod, clambering out of his seat and stretching his back out.

“Ok, mom, I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, before moving round to pat Sebastian on the shoulder on his way out. “Nice to see you, bro, we gotta do this again sometime.” He walked out and headed off to his bedroom, leaving the two of them alone on the couch, bodies still kind of close. 

“It is pretty late,” Sebastian sighed, checking his phone for the time. “I’ve had way too much to drive, but I can always call a cab and come get my car tomorrow?”

Blaine was momentarily taken aback by his words - the Sebastian he knew in high school would have no doubt taken that moment to inappropriately proposition him with a brush of the hand and lingering look. And, whilst they had undoubtedly been flirting a little all night, and he hadn’t exactly been subtle with his eyes, there wasn’t the presumption there that anything would happen.

“Oh, don’t be stupid, just stay over. Sam won’t mind.” Blaine sort of spoke without meaning to, but honestly, making Sebastian get a cab home and then back again the following day just seemed ridiculous, when they were both adults perfectly capable of sleeping in the same apartment. 

Before Sebastian could reply Sam walked back past them, toothbrush sticking out his mouth and pyjamas on as he was just going to grab a glass of water. “Yeah, Sam doesn’t mind, but you’re way too much of a giant to sleep on that couch, so just share Blaine’s bed. He’s tiny anyway, it’ll be like you have the whole thing to yourself.” He tossed Blaine a wink, the bastard, toothpaste dribbling out his mouth as he grabbed his water and walked back to his room, perfectly aware of the damage he’d just done.

Blaine felt ridiculous, he was a 26 year old man and there he was, blushing at the idea of sharing a goddamn _bed_ , but it was Sebastian, and things were always different with Sebastian. 

Luckily for him, the other man wasn’t as much of an overthinker as he was, as he just shrugged and stood up, draining his wine glass and cracking out his spine. “Sure thing; if you’re cool with that, killer. Don’t worry, I’m a gentleman. I keep my hands to myself.” 

The exhaustion was beginning to set in, so Blaine just nodded, getting off the couch and collecting their glasses to dump in the kitchen. Sam’s second bedroom was just next door, plainly decorated and currently strewn with Blaine’s clothes, where he grabbed something to sleep in and rummaged around for something for Sebastian, well aware everything he opened would be too small.

“Don’t worry about me, B,” the taller man said as he entered the room, looking suddenly pretty tired. “Putting on child sized clothes _does_ sound entertaining but very uncomfortable. I’ll just go with what I have, as my 60 hour work week is hitting me right about now,” he groaned, unbuttoning his shirt and tucking it out his trousers, before lazily discarding it on the floor.

Blaine had to resist the urge to fold it up seeing as it looked stupidly expensive, and then he had to resist the urge to stare at Sebastian’s now naked torso, which had no right to be as sexy as it did. When he moved to take off his trousers he whipped his head back around and focused on finding a top to sleep in, hurriedly getting changed in the corner with a lot less carelessness than Sebastian did. 

They’d both gone to a boys boarding school, so public changing wasn’t exactly weird for them, but Blaine felt different under Sebastian’s eyes, the situation a lot more intimate than stripping down in front of Jeff in his dorm room. 

He heard the sound of the duvet being lifted and the sheets being laid on, a slight groan coming from Sebastian as he slid onto the admittedly comfortable mattress, which Blaine took as a sign for it to be safe to turn around. The top of his torso was still visible, hard lines of muscle with a littering of beauty marks on tanned skin, and suddenly Blaine felt like he was 16 again, blushing over a boy and unable to think.

Before Sebastian could notice and tease him, he moved to clamber into the side next to him, the sheets cool against his burning skin - warm from alcohol and his rising nerves for some reason. Sebastian was lying on his back, one arm behind his head that was doing very unfair things to his biceps, staring up at the ceiling with an unreadable expression.

“Pretty sure if I told high school me he’d be in a bed with Blaine Anderson one day he’d pretty much die on the spot. Although I think he’d be imagining something a little different to this.”

Blaine rolled over onto his side to look at him, arms curled protectively around himself. 

“Don’t get me wrong, high school me was an asshole, but he had pretty good taste, I have to say,” Sebastian continued with a small smile, eyes still focused on the ceiling. “You do know how sorry I am, right? About… everything.” His voice was a little deeper than usual, a seriousness to his tone that was never really there; he almost sounded nervous, small.

“Seb, I forgave you for all that years ago; I mean, we first met a decade ago, we were both different people and both did things we regret,” Blaine sighed, letting his eyes close. “Do you really think I don’t regret cheating on Kurt?”

Sebastian turned his head slowly, looking at him tentatively. “Did you ever think about calling me?”

The implication was obvious - why didn’t Blaine cheat on Kurt with Sebastian. It was a thought that had crossed his own mind multiple times, and he knew it must’ve been something the other boy considered, which made sense.

“I thought about it. I mean, Kurt thought it was you, anyway,” he admitted, voice small. “But even though it sounds stupid, I didn’t cheat on him to hurt him. And if I had gone to you, I’d have allowed myself to give in to the one person Kurt hated the most, and admitted I’d been attracted to you, which would’ve done so much more damage. It would’ve meant more.” 

There was a silence between them, just the sound of breathing in the room, and Blaine could feel the warmth radiating off Sebastian’s body even though they weren’t touching, although there was nothing more he wanted to do than curl up at his side. 

After a long pause, Sebastian breathed out heavily, rolling on his back so that he was now facing him, arm under his head and faces only a few inches apart. “You know, the day of your proposal was like...one of the worst days of my life. Not to be dramatic or anything, but it really fucking sucked.”

Blaine drew in a quick breath, surprised at the admittal. He’d always known that Sebastian wasn’t exactly happy with the engagement, but didn’t realise it had been quite so deep.

“Seb, I…”

“It was just, even though I knew you would never feel any way about me - and even if you did I wouldn’t know what to do with it - I wanted you to go out there and live your life, do what you wanted and take on the world. And then you gave it all up for some guy when you were 18, and I had to two step and sway and watch it all, and I couldn’t say anything.” Blaine had never heard Sebastian sound so raw and emotionally honest, and it kind of broke his heart.

“I wouldn’t have listened if you’d said anything. I didn’t listen to anyone. We were too young, and it wasn’t right, but I tried to force it anyway, and I spent the next however many years living with that mistake,” Blaine said shakily, allowing himself to look into the green of Sebastian’s eyes. “But that’s over now, and I’m trying to move on. Next step, get a job in a school, and go from there, one step at a time.”

“Remember, Blaine, you can do anything you want to do,” Sebastian all but whispered next to him. “You’re the most special guy I know, don’t ever let yourself think otherwise.”

Blaine didn’t know what possessed him to shuffle closer, press an arm around Sebastian’s waist and bury his face in his neck, whether it was the words of genuine belief and encouragement, or just from being touch starved for so long, but as soon as he felt those warm limbs wrap back around him he knew it was the right choice. 

They adjusted slightly, Sebastian rolling to lie back on his back with Blaine’s head on his chest, one hand tightly wrapped around his waist and legs entangled. He felt Sebastian’s other arm come up to pull him closer, fingers stroking lightly through his curls, and Blaine melted into the touch, feeling his whole body electrify at being so close, so intimate with another person.

With Sebastian. 

He drifted off slowly, nuzzling his face closer to soft, freckled skin, and fell out of consciousness as a light kiss was pressed into his curls, arms tightening.

~

It was the sound of mild crashing from the kitchen that woke him up, followed by a series of expletives which echoed through the apartment, dragging Blaine out of his sleep. He pried open his eyes, wincing slightly at the sliver of sunlight which was pouring through the curtains, illuminating the empty bed next to him. 

He had definitely gone to sleep in Sebastian’s arms, so waking up alone was a little disconcerting, and he found himself missing the warm touch of the other man, now maybe thinking he had crossed a line by moving them closer. 

Another sound came from the kitchen, this time laughter, and he heard _two_ distinct male voices which was a little odd, so Blaine swung his legs over the side of the bed and stumbled out, rubbing his eyes a little as he made his way out of the room.

He then blinked a few times and rubbed them again, to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating, as standing by the hob were both Sam and Sebastian, the latter leaning against the counter drinking coffee, and the former stirring something on the stove, chatting to each other.

They were both also _very_ shirtless, and yeah, Blaine had definitely had a dream like this at one point. 

Sebastian took a sip from his mug listening to whatever Sam was saying, but turned his head and broke into a wide smile when he saw Blaine entering the kitchen. 

“Hey, killer, nice of you to join us,” Sebastian teased at him, ankles crossed over one another. “Sorry for getting up, I’m still on my work schedule and caffeine was calling me. Plus, I heard Evans destroying stuff in the kitchen, so.” Sam swatted at him with the spatula, and Blaine had to blink a few times to make sure this was all real. 

Somehow Sebastian had gotten some of Sam’s sweatpants it seemed, as the grey material hanging extremely low on his hips managed to actually fit him, unlike if he was wearing Blaine’s. He shuffled into the kitchen and accepted the mug that was pressed into his hands gratefully, smiling up at his friends who had resumed their conversation about basketball. 

Blaine just leant against the counter opposite, taking a long drink from the mug in his hands and watching the scene in front of him, which was so bizarre that if he’d told his high school self this would happen, he’d probably think there had been another puppet inducing gas leak. 

Sebastian checked his phone on the side and swore, setting down his mug with an eye roll. “For some reason I agreed to have lunch with my dad today, so I’m going to have to split, but Duval did tell me that those of us still here tonight are going to try and go to a bar later on, you in?”

Blaine pretended to think about it for a second as to not come off too excited, but being asked to hang out again, and especially see the Warblers another time in his short trip was just what he needed, and what he had been missing. 

“Of course, I expect he’ll text me over the details, but keep me in the loop,” he replied with a smile over the rim of his mug. Sebastian tossed him a wink and a clap on Sam’s shoulder, before heading back to the spare room, presumably to get changed and ready to go. He felt his eyes watch him leave, focusing on the way his back muscles shifted slightly and the sweats hung low, the back of his hair kind of sticking up in odd places adorably. 

Behind him he heard a stifled laugh from Sam, obviously being fairly obvious. “Dude, did anything happen last night? If it did, it must have been pretty shit, ‘cause I heard nothing, and you’re not looking all - fucked.”

He turned around and rolled his eyes, hiding back behind his mug. “No, nothing happened. We’re just friends, Sam. And we’re only _just_ friends again, I mean, we haven’t spoken in years.” There was undeniably something there, but at the same time, he had just gotten out of a divorce, and Sebastian didn’t exactly seem the relationship type, even if he _had_ grown up since high school. He was attracted to him, sure, but going any further down that path just didn’t seem like the right move. 

Sam plated up his breakfast and hummed, not saying anything but raising his eyebrows a little, moving past Blaine to sit down at the table and start shovelling food in his mouth. The bedroom door opened and Sebastian walked out, dressed in his suit from the day before, and Blaine really wished he’d folded it when he’d had the chance, as the shirt was covered in creases. 

“Alright, I’m heading off. Thanks for letting me crash here, Evans, and for the pizza. You gotta let me make it up to you sometime, yeah?” Sebastian offered as he walked past, accepting the bro fist from Sam who just nodded, mouth shoved with food. Blaine shook his head at his best friend, chuckling under his breath as he walked Sebastian to the door, feeling a little self conscious in just a t-shirt and boxers, especially walking in front of the other man when he knew _exactly_ where his eyes were going to be. 

“I guess I’ll see you later, then,” he said as they reached the front door, wrapping his arms around himself. Sebastian smiled down at him and moved to open up the door, pulling it open and standing underneath it, half in the hallway. 

“I guess you will. Thanks for everything, B. I figured I’d be spending three days in a hotel room, forced to just talk to Jeff the whole time and sort of regretting coming, but you’ve made it worth it,” he said lightly, reaching out to softly touch his arm. “Later, killer.”

He flashed him a wink and then walked out the door, closing it behind him, and Blaine felt himself smiling down at his chest as he walked back through the apartment, already feeling excited for the evening.

“Dude, your face is so red,” Sam laughed, voice muffled with eggs. Blaine threw another apple at his head.

~

He’d spent the rest of the day looking at LA apartments in bed and then getting coffee with Sam, helping him with some music arrangements and decidedly ignoring any teasing comments about Sebastian. They’d had a good time together, and yeah, had sort of spent the night ‘cuddling’, but Blaine was a 26 year old man, so he didn’t get hung up on these things. 

He didn’t.

Nick had texted him some details for later on - a bar in Westerville that Blaine had never been to, but that was apparently one of the least shitty drinking establishments in the area, which was somewhat promising. After a moment of deliberation, he had texted back, asking if Sam could come, as honestly, he was only going to be in town a little longer and wanted to be able to spend as much time as possible with his best friend before the months long separation that would follow. 

His question had been readily received and everyone was happy about it; though most of them just knew Sam as the other guy who dressed up and stole their trophy, but for the Warblers, that was enough to think he was cool anyway. 

Sebastian had texted him a few times, just confirmation that each other were going, questions about what to wear and where to park, but even during menial conversations with him he felt like he couldn't get enough. He had also informed Blaine with a twinge of embarrassment that he’d left his coat in his apartment, tossed in the corner of the living room with a reckless abandon, that he had just completely forgotten to take it home. Blaine found it adorable how messy someone like Sebastian could be. 

Before they left the apartment, he made sure to pick up Sebastian’s coat, following Sam out to his car because his friend had declared himself designated driver, seeing as he had to teach the next day. Blaine wasn’t going to complain - he really needed a drink.

~

The bar seemed okay from the outside - definitely somewhere people from Dalton would go as opposed to McKinley - although thankfully, it did seem to cater to more of a younger crowd rather than clusters of old men. He and Sam pushed their way inside, where frustratingly he was ID’d and his friend wasn’t, which ensured a quick fire of short jokes as they headed through the semi-crowded building.

He could hear his friends before he could see them: that familiar cackle of Nick’s laugh and loud groans from the rest of them, Beatz’ loud voice cutting over Jeff’s softer one, Trent complaining and Wes arguing, and part of it felt like home. Grabbing Sam by the arm, he tugged them over, unable to stop the grin that broke on his face when he got closer, David spotting him and waving hello. 

The greeting was similar to the day before - over the top and exuberant as ever, but this time he made sure to introduce Sam to everyone, his friend taking everything in his stride. There was a brief moment of confusion when everyone assumed they were dating, but Sam laughed it off and explained in way too much detail about how Blaine ‘used to want to do him, but not anymore’ which was met with a lot of jokes. 

Sam fit right in as he suspected he would, chatting away with Nick easily, as Blaine craned his neck to try and see if he could find Sebastian. He’d texted him when they arrived and knew he was here somewhere, although he wasn’t at the table. 

When he was about to pull out his phone to send a message - aware that it was probably a bit much - Blaine felt a slight kick in the back of his calf, a nudge that caused him to turn around. Sebastian was grinning at him, a beer in either hand, one of which was being offered out to him.

“Thought I’d stop you from queuing at the bar. I went with beer so your lips wouldn’t become permanently stained purple, like they were yesterday,” he teased, snorting with laughter when Blaine shushed him and accepted the drink with an embarrassed smile. “Nice of you to bring Evans. I think he’ll get on pretty well with the guys.”

Blaine nodded, turning his head to see Sam already deep in conversation with a few of them, wildly gesturing his hands around and definitely doing an impression by the way his face twisted. 

“Yeah; I thought it would be nice for him to meet everyone, plus, I wanna be able to spend as much time with him as I can before I head back.” 

“When are you heading back?” Sebastian asked, head tilting slightly as he took a sip of his drink. Honestly, Blaine wasn’t too sure yet; he was looking at return flights but hadn’t made up his mind, having no real deadlines on his life currently. 

“Probably in under a week, whenever I can get the cheapest flights,” he shrugged. “Need to keep up the job and apartment hunting, so I can’t stay out here for too long.”

Sebastian nodded in agreement, looking as though he was about to say something when Sam’s voice interrupted him. 

“Hey, Seb, nice to see you again! Blaine brought your coat, but we left it in the car, so lemme know whenever you want it!”

Blaine loved his best friend, he really did. But sometimes his mouth said the _dumbest_ shit. 

The Warblers all instantly whipped round to look at them, eyes wide and mouths open, a mixture of extreme happiness and horrified confusion; all absolute drama queens, the lot of them. Blaine just groaned and waved them off, finally sliding into a seat on the table, Sebastian following, so their thighs were closely pressed together. 

“Nobody piss their knickers, we didn’t hook up. God, you guys are as horny as ever,” Sebastian muttered, shooting them all glares. Nick just frowned at him and leaned over the table, half spilling a drink as he did. 

“So you two stayed in the same apartment last night and nothing happened? Smythe, if you so much as _thought_ about Blaine in high school you’d cream yourself, and Anderson, you’ve been all heart eyes from day one.”

The rest of the Warblers either started laughing or arguing, Jeff breaking into some anecdote about a drunk Sebastian describing Blaine’s ass and Trent passionately denying any ‘heart eyes’ claims; this was clearly something they spoke about often. Blaine just took a sip out of his drink, looking at Sebastian from the corner of his eye and unable to stop a snort of laughter at his disgruntled face. 

Their eyes met, and when Blaine teasingly lifted an eyebrow, Sebastian returned his smile, the two of them finding themselves chuckling over the rims of their cups, ignoring their friends.

Eventually, the conversation returned to normality once the Warblers realised they weren’t going to get a rise out of either one of them, just talking about old Dalton memories, filling in Sam with their antics, and continuing catching up. Blaine found himself sitting back, listening, most of the time, just basking in how relaxed and well - _happy_ he was.

Since the divorce - or well, since a year or so before the divorce - he had felt like he was constantly on edge, walls crumbling and wires snapping, fighting so hard for just the smallest victories or semblance of peace, but now, it was like he could breathe again. 

There was a comforting hand on his knee; Sebastian was looking down at him, silently asking if he was ok. Blaine supposed it was because he hadn’t said anything for a while, which was slightly out of character for him, but he just gave a nod and smile, albeit it a slightly tipsy one. 

The drinks had been steadily flowing, and he found he didn’t even have to pay for most of them, Sebastian grabbing him one whenever he went up to the bar and refused to take any payment, just insisting it was his treat whether we wanted beer, whisky, or water.

It was strangely comforting to have him offer non alcoholic drinks, not just wanting to get him drunk.

Blaine did, of course, still manage to get drunk. However the rest of them did, as well, with the exception of the few designated drivers present, Sam and David sticking to soft drinks. 

By his sixth pint, Blaine was arm wrestling Beatz on the table, watching Jeff and Sebastian try and have a conversation in French when only one of them spoke the language, and listening to Sam do a fairly convincing George Bush impersonation to a confused Wes. Sebastian’s hand was on his thigh, and Blaine had hooked their ankles together under the table, occasionally letting their fingers brush together.

By his eighth pint, and after a round of shots, Blaine wasn’t sure how he ended up sat on Sebastian's lap crying with laughter at Thad’s Hunter impersonation, but he knew he certainly didn’t mind the way the other man’s arm was curled around his stomach, thumb stroking his side. Jeff was in the middle of pretending to be Mr Puss and starting to make really, _really_ horrible choices when the hand on him squeezed slightly.

“Do you wanna go grab my coat?” Sebastian murmured, breath hot against his ear, causing Blaine to involuntarily shiver. His body felt like it was on fire, so he just dumbly nodded and mouthed at Sam for the keys, who looked confused for a second but then handed them over, giving them a smile before resuming talking to David. 

Blaine slipped off Sebastian’s lap, fully aware that he let his ass linger slightly as he went, grabbing the other man’s hand to pull him up and lead him out the door, both of them stumbling a little and borderline giggling. The cold air outside smacked him in the face, a cool welcome from the stuffiness of the bar, but he was still pressed into Sebastian’s side, the contact flooding him with warmth. 

They made their way over to Sam’s car, laughing and tripping as they went, Sebastian walking behind him with an arm wrapped around his waist and head dropped down on his shoulder. Blaine stopped by the truck, leaning back against it, and as soon as he saw Sebastian move to stand in front of him, he knew he had no intention of getting that coat. 

He parted his legs unconsciously, peering up through his lashes and tilting his head back to expose his neck, drinking in the sight of the tall man in front of him, who’s green eyes were almost black. Sebastian took a step closer, one hand going to settle on his waist and the other by his head, palm flat against the metal. 

Blaine swallowed hard, and he realised that Sebastian was waiting for him to make the first move, eyes flickering down towards his lips. For a second he paused, mind reaching for a sober thought, but then he realised: fuck it. He hadn’t done anything for himself in years, and he deserved to be a little selfish sometimes. 

Surging up onto his toes, Blaine crashed their lips together, bringing one hand up to snake into Sebastian’s hair and the other twisted in his shirt, dragging their bodies closer. He was met with no resistance; the other man opened his mouth instantly and stepped forwards, their hips now flush together and arms entangled. 

He was firmly pinned against the car, his whole body electrified and buzzing, each touch sending his brain into complete meltdown as Sebastian’s hand trailed down his waist to settle on his ass, almost grinding it into him. 

Blaine had been kissed a fair amount in his life, but he couldn’t remember a time when a kiss was as raw, as passionate as this; it was somewhat messy, but still so controlled by Sebastian, who dragged Blaine’s lower lip between his teeth slowly, gripping at his curls. He couldn’t stop the moan escaping his lips, fingers bruising into Sebastian’s sides in any effort to get those closer. 

Wet, grazing kisses started being pressed on his jaw and down his throat, as Blaine tilted his head back to grant better access and Sebastian licked and sucked at the skin, nails scratching the back of his scalp and hand pressed against his ass. He was almost blinded with lust, putty in Sebastian’s hands and just letting himself be touched all over, soft moans slipping out his mouth along with whispered expletives. 

Suddenly it wasn’t enough: there were too many layers, and he craved more. The man in front of him was someone he had wanted for such a long time, but never allowed himself to have, the forbidden fruit now eatable. He tore one hand away and fumbled in his pocket for the car keys, pressing a button he hoped wasn’t the alarm and grinning against Sebastian’s mouth when he heard the soft click of the vehicle being unlocked. 

Sebastian seemed to get the hint, and pulled back his lips a little, Blaine whining softly at the loss, before reaching round and opening the back door they were pressed against. The taller man lightly pushed on his chest, and Blaine found himself scrambling back and almost falling into the car, lying himself down on the back seat. 

He was aware they were in the middle of a parking lot, all their friends inside probably wondering where they’d been for some time, but his brain was currently only capable of thinking about one thing, and that thing was Sebastian crawling up his body, hands pinning him to the uncomfortable seat of the car. 

Their bodies fell flush against one another, grinding more reverently now they were lying down and out of public view (mostly), Blaine opening his legs a little to accommodate Sebastian’s thigh between his, fingers bruising into his hips. The heat of the car and the weight of their bodies increased the intensity, teeth clashing and moaning into each other’s mouths, hands clutching at whatever they could and shirts untucked. 

He felt a hand on his belt buckle, and Sebastian pulled back to meet their eyes, his completely blown black with lust but asking for silent consent, and all Blaine had to do was look at his swollen lips, flushed skin, and feel him hard on his hip to just nod and bring his own hands down, both of them fumbling with their jeans. 

It probably shouldn’t be happening like this. 

Not when he was so recently out of a divorce, and Sebastian had admitted to him just the night before the feelings he had, the intensity of it all. This would make things weird, messy, and probably ruin the rebuilding of friendship the two of them had been working toward over the past two days, but when he felt Sebastian’s hand snake down his trousers and wrap around his cock, Blaine’s mind went fully blank and he forgot what he was even thinking about. 

“Fuck...” he groaned, coming out as more of a strangled whimper than anything else, as he lifted his hips to allow Sebastian to yank down his underwear and fully expose himself, bucking up into his touch. 

“Can I blow you?” Sebastian’s voice was deep and croaky, Blaine looking up to see him leaning over him with wet parted lips and black, hungry eyes, less composed than he’d ever seen him. His words went straight to his dick, and he nodded furiously, wiggling up to allow for a bit more room as Sebastian grinned and began trailing kisses down his body, lifting his shirt to pay attention on his stomach and hips, gently nipping and biting at the skin. 

He felt lips brush against his legs, ghosting on his upper thighs and pressing teasing kisses into his skin, sucking down and licking softly, and Blaine’s eyes fully rolled back in his head at this point; he was convinced he had forgotten how to breathe.

“Don’t tease me,” he whined, trying to rut up, bringing one hand down to settle lightly in Sebastian’s hair, not pushing him but a grab of desperation. Sebastian chuckled darkly against his thigh, the sound rumbling against his skin, which really didn’t help the situation. 

“Desperate, are we?” His voice was muffled slightly but a lot lower than it usually was, a dark teasing to his words that made Blaine’s cock twitch and a moan escape his lips, because, yeah he really was desperate. Finally, after what felt like a torturous amount of teasing, Sebastian slowly licked up his length and then sunk down, one hand at his base and the other securing his hip. 

Blaine saw white; the feeling of someone’s mouth on him was almost foreign at this point after so long with just his own hand, but Sebastian’s tongue swirling and wrist twisting was a pleasure that was almost unbearable. His fingers tightened in his hair, feeling the other man groan against his cock as he scraped across the scalp, a noise that sent vibrations all over him. 

Sebastian alternated between sinking down on him fully and teasing at the head, jerking his hand expertly. Blaine couldn’t tear his eyes away, the sight of his head bobbing and hollowed cheeks enough to get him off, let alone the actual feeling of what he was doing, unable to stop the moans and pants of breath escaping his lips. 

“Fuck, Seb… so fucking good,” he groaned, the words guttural and rasping. Their eyes met, Sebastian peering up through his lashes and fucking _winked_ at him, causing his hips to rut up further, pushing his cock to the back of the other man’s throat. 

That familiar feeling of heat pooling in his stomach began to creep in, much quicker than he would’ve liked, but it had been a while, and also it was _Sebastian_. Not only was he undoubtedly talented, but also the idea of him, and who he was in his life, that was so attractive. 

He squeezed down on his shoulder, breath quickening as the pleasure became almost overwhelming.

“Fuck, gonna come,” he spat out, barely audible alongside his moans. Sebastian just quickened the pace, licking and touching in all the right ways until Blaine was pushed over the edge, waves of ecstasy rolling over him as he spilled into his mouth, eyesight blurry and mind blank.

They were still for a moment, Blaine collecting his breath whilst Sebastian rode him through it, pulling off to press light kisses all over his thighs and stomach, nudging his nose against his hip. If it wasn't for the fact they were in his friends car in the middle of a parking lot, it would almost be sweet. 

After a while, he felt his head clear and started to regain feeling in his body, so reached down to grab at Sebastian’s arms and pull him up, the taller man crawling up his body so their faces were connected again. He crashed their lips together, and Blaine could taste himself on his tongue, as well as feel Sebastian’s dick grinding into his hip, desperate for friction and straining through his jeans.

“B, please,” Sebastian groaned, face burrowing into his neck and mouthing at the skin, tongue swiping over his pressure point and biting down slightly. “Want you so fucking bad.”

Blaine reached down and tugged Sebastian’s jeans down past his hips, freeing his cock from his underwear where it was steadily leaking and painfully hard. The other man was clearly not going to last long; already worked up from all their foreplay and Blaine’s own orgasm. He started jerking his wrist, swiping over the head and wrapping his other arm around Sebastian’s waist so they were closer together, the sounds of heavy panting and breathy moans filling the car. 

“God, you feel so fucking good, Blaine, need you.” His voice was strained and quiet, as if he didn’t even realise he was talking, fingers bruising into Blaine’s skin as he thrust his hips in time with his strokes, movements getting jerkier as he got closer. 

“Fuck, please, B, gonna come,” Sebastian groaned, before lifting his head to reconnect their lips, claiming Blaine’s mouth with his own in a demanding kiss, tongue creeping in, and he moaned deeply into it when he spilled all over his hand, hips stuttering. 

Blaine kissed him through the orgasm, stroking softly until he removed his hand, scrunching up his nose a little at the mess all over it. Sebastian chuckled, pressing a light kiss to his cheekbone and using his own shirt to wipe it all up. 

“Seb, that’s disgusting. You’re wearing that,” Blaine groaned as he rolled his eyes and tried to sit up a little, tugging his underwear and trousers up as he went. “You could have used like, literally anything else.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him, following his lead of putting his clothes back on. “I mean I don’t see too many options in the back of Evans' car. Speaking of, how mad is he gonna be about this, ‘cause the guy is pretty jacked?”

And yeah, okay, maybe Blaine had not thought so far ahead as to the consequences of his actions. 

He shrugged and avoided Sebastian’s eyes, doing up his top buttons and fastening his jeans the best he could in his current position. “He’ll be alright, he gets this thing cleaned a lot and he’s pretty chill about this stuff.”

That seemed to appease Sebastian, who grabbed the door handle and opened it out to the cold air outside, a welcoming rush of coolness to sedate the overwhelming heat of the car. He followed the other man’s suit, getting out of his own side and stretching his body when standing, blood rushing to his head as he was upright and legs still a little shaky. 

Sebastian came around to his side of the car, stopping in front of him but not stepping any closer, as if now suddenly cautious when he’d been so brazen earlier. 

“My flight is pretty early tomorrow, so I don’t think I’ll see you here again,” he said softly, hands shoved in pockets and looking off to the side. “But, you know, whenever you’re back in LA you have my number, yeah?”

It was a strangely vulnerable question; Sebastian seemed unsure as he said it, but it caused a rush of warmth in Blaine’s stomach at the prospect of this maybe not being a one time thing. 

He took a step closer together so he could reach out and entangle their fingers; maybe it was something too intimate, too romantic for them, but he just couldn’t help it.

“Definitely. I’ll keep you updated on my schedule.” It was an unspoken promise, but Blaine said it with such earnesty that he hoped Sebastian realised it wasn’t just a social nicety. “Are you not coming back in?”

Sebastian paused slightly, running a hand through his dishevelled hair as if an attempt to sedate it. “I think I should head off; early start, and all that.”

It was hard not to be a little disappointed, as this was their last time seeing each other and it seemed like it was being cut way too short: they’d only really had a day to reconnect. Blaine felt an ease to their friendship which he had missed for a while, and the promise of something more was tempting, although maybe _too_ tempting. 

His disappointment must’ve been a little obvious, as Sebastian squeezed his hands and closed any distance between, looking down at him fondly. “I’m sorry, B, but when you get to LA we’ll have coffee, yeah? Keep catching up, I want us to stay... friends.” Blaine let himself smile, leaning on his toes to press a light kiss to the taller man’s cheek.

“Yeah, of course, I’ll see you then,” he replied softly, feeling the last few traces of alcohol in him causing his skin to flush and heat up exponentially. They were silent for a moment, just letting their hands rest in one another’s and search each other’s faces as if unsure what to say or how to progress. Luckily for him, Sebastian was as smooth as ever, always seeming to find something to say, whether good or bad.

“Catch you in the sunshine then, killer.” Sebastian leant down and kissed him, with that same dirty passion as before, lingering taste of whisky and skin on his lips, before pulling away all too soon with a wink, and then walked away, phone in hand to call a cab. 

Part of Blaine wanted to go after him, offer to stay over at Sam’s, go back with him, go _anywhere_ with him, but he had to stop himself, remember he wasn’t a 17 year old romantic who could do gestures without consequence. This was the real world, and they were adults - he had done the whole, fairytale romanticised bullshit, and look at how well that turned out.

He gathered his senses, took a deep breath, and headed back inside the bar, stumbling significantly less than when he left but still not entirely dignified as he would’ve liked. It had gotten a lot louder since they left; their friends were now spread out over various tables in varying degrees of inebriation, Nick for some reason getting a piggyback from Sam whilst Jeff and Beatz mirrored them, in a strange duel across the table that looked about 5 seconds away from a hospital trip.

The Warblers had always had a way of maintaining that youthful energy as they got older - all of them in pretty sophisticated, mature jobs, but not letting that weigh on them, get boring or tired. Although right now it looked like it was just letting them work towards getting kicked out the bar. 

Blaine slipped in beside Wes, hoping to just slide into whatever gavel based debate he and Thad were having without being noticed, but unluckily for him Nick caught his eye, nearly toppling off Sam’s back in doing so. 

“Dude, where you been? You look fucking _ruined,_ my guy!”

He tossed it up to their completely drunken brains that no one had started to put two and two together, so he just waved him off, feeling a lot more sober than he would like to be right now. Unfortunately, Nick had never really been one to let things go, or behave normally in public. 

“Anderson, where’s Smythe? You gotta tell me right now, because I may be in with the chance of getting 20 bucks,” Nick continued with a wicked glint in his eye, looking way too proud he had been betting on Blaine’s sex life. 

As the Warblers all started joining in, making jokes and asking questions, Sam catching his eye with a knowing look, and Blaine realised Sebastian still hadn’t taken his damn coat. 

~

“Are you sure you have everything? Your phone charger? ‘Cause last time you left it and it was such a nightmare and -”

“Yes, Sam, I have my phone charger,” Blaine chuckled, cutting off his friend with a wave of the hand. “We double checked everything last night, and we had a list.”

Sam just rolled his eyes a little and shuffled his feet on the ground of the car park. “Ok ok, I just wanna make sure you have everything. You’ve been a little - _disconnected_ the past few days.”

And yeah, okay, Blaine really couldn’t disagree with that. 

It had been four days since Sebastian had left, and he had just been a little on edge the whole time, itching with a feeling he didn’t _quite_ understand. They had barely been around each other, had spent under two days together - but it had been the first time he had felt alive in such a long time, that he found himself craving it again.

The situation was dangerous, and confusing. His divorce was fresh, and this was his first time being single since he was 19, and he’d been with Kurt before then, anyway, so his feelings were a mess, and his relationship with love and dating was all kinds of damaged. But Sebastian was different - familiar yet exciting, and something where he didn’t feel pressure or confinement. But at the same time, he wasn’t going to assume anything, assume the other man felt anything in the same territory that he did; not when a lot of their attitudes were so different.

Hence, Sam saying he’d been disconnected. Ever since that night in the bar, where he’d spent his last hour there going drink for drink with Beatz and wrestling Nick in the car park, followed by the entire next day in bed before booking a flight back to LA for the end of the week, he’d been drifting in and out a bit. He’d still made the most of his time with his best friend when he wasn’t at work, evening takeout and video games, but a large part of him was looking forward to being back in California.

He shook himself out of his mental funk, turning to look up at Sam and smiling, bringing him into a hug where they were outside the Ohio Airport. “Dude, I promise I’ll be ok. We’ll call as soon as I’m back at Coop’s, alright?” 

The arms around him squeezed a little before releasing him, Sam’s signature grin on his face even if his eyes were a little wet. “As long as you don’t make me talk to him, we’re good.” He gave him a quick slap on the butt and gave him his bag which had been in the truck. “Now go fuck off before you miss your flight, Anderson.”

Blaine gave him a mock salute and a smile, picking up his case and taking one last look, before turning and heading for the airport. 

~

His flight was fairly uneventful, arriving in early evening as it took around 5 hours or so. He had a middle seat, due to his last minute booking, but avoided any screaming children onboard, so he took that as a win - Blaine loved kids, just not being trapped in a hunk of metal in the sky with them. 

As he headed out of baggage collection and down to arrivals, he felt an annoying itch to text Sebastian, to tell him he was in LA, but forced himself to hold back; this wasn’t some romantic comedy where they would start some long winded love affair, and Sebastian worked full time non stop. He didn’t have time for Blaine’s daydreams.

He turned the corner, and saw that familiar dark hair and blue eyes of his brother waiting for him, several women nearby checking him out rather than looking for their husbands. Cooper was grinning wide as ever - probably more because he thought there was a possibility of cameras or paparazzi, but he knew some of it was out of affection. 

Blaine made his way over, weaving through the miscellaneous crowds until he reached his brother, who tossed away the shoddily written name card he’d been holding, no doubt because he’d seen it in a movie recently. 

“Hey, squirt! God, Ohio really sucked the tan out of you, didn’t it?” 

Before he even had time to roll his eyes, Blaine was dragged into a tight hug, face squashed against a leather jacket and - yeah, he still hated how tall Cooper was. 

Since he was a teenager, their relationship had drastically improved - the fact that he willingly moved in with him was a testament to that, and that he’d lasted more than a month there without causing any bodily harm. There was still occasional teasing and annoyance, but that kind of came with the package that was Cooper Anderson, so it was several decades too late to change that now.

“So, how’d it go with all the preppies? Get any nice rebound action from a rich guy that knows how to side step?” Cooper asked as he slung an arm round his shoulders, leading the two of them out of the airport. 

Blaine tried to groan in protest, but was cut off before he could even start. “I mean, like I’ve told you a _million_ times, people in LA are just, so much hotter, so you should start with someone here. But also, sometimes you just gotta take what you can get, huh squirt?”

God, he really did want to punch his brother sometimes. 

“Coop, like I’ve told _you_ a million times, I am not talking about that stuff with you. Anyway, how’s things with Emily?” Moving the conversation on to whatever girl he was seeing at the time was usually a sure fire way to distract from any of Blaine’s issues, thankfully. As they headed outside towards Cooper’s car, he was hit in the face with the warm evening breeze of California, something that he was surprised he had missed so much.

“Tell you what: it’s actually going alright. Three whole months now, which is nearing a personal record, if I do say so myself.” And there was none of the usual boredom or resentment in his tone that usually came about from talking about the women he was seeing, so it did seem like progress was being made. 

Blaine left his arm and gave him a smile, moving towards the parked car. “That’s great; she seemed nice when I met her and she can put up with you, so you could be onto a winner there.”

Cooper raised an eyebrow at him and popped the boot to put Blaine’s case into. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, squirt. One step at a time.” He figured he shouldn’t push it, in case just talking about long term commitment would be enough to put his brother off, so instead packed away his luggage and got in the car, starting to feel the effects of the plane hitting. 

“You wanna go out anywhere tonight? Hit a karaoke bar with a little Duran Duran action?” Cooper asked with a grin and a wink, sliding in and starting the engine. 

“First of all, please no more Duran Duran. If I hear the word ‘Rio’ come out your mouth again, I’ll think I’ll move back to Ohio.” He ignored Cooper’s affronted gasp. “And second, I’ll have to pass on tonight. Travelling makes me sleepy, and I need to start looking at schools and apartments tomorrow, so I should get a good night's rest.”  
  


They set off, a slight silence hanging over them as Cooper tapped at the wheel, occasionally looking at himself in the rear view mirror. “You know, squirt, I don’t mind having you here. You don’t need to rush off as soon as you can: it’s not like you’re a burden to me. I mean, yeah, you clog up the drain with shower gel and you don’t run lines with me as much as you should, but I don’t _want_ you gone.”

The honest admission was a little, well, shocking, coming from his brother, who, whilst he hadn’t been particularly nasty to him in recent years, hadn’t been particularly affectionate either.

“I know, Coop,” he sighed, rubbing at his arm. “It’s just - it would be nice to have my own space, after so long of living with Kurt and let’s be honest, our place was kinda designed how he wanted it to be.” Cooper gave a dramatic snort in agreement. “And I’m 26, I don’t want to be crashing in my brother’s spare room much longer. I want to be able to have somewhere of my own, you know?”

“I get it man, I do.” His brother gave him a quick smile, punching him on the arm as they drove towards his house. “Just, maybe don’t move too far away, yeah?”

It was something so simple, but to Blaine, it was just something else starting to go right in his life at the moment; another piece being put back together.

~

His room at Cooper’s was kind of bare, most of his belongings boxed up in the garage. So much of it reminded him of Kurt that he had just ended up donating it, though that helped with the whole cross country travel, anyway. 

There were a few photos, his clothes, but not a lot of personal touches around, which to be fair was a conscious choice - the less attached he got to this place, the better. Even though Cooper made it very difficult for him to actually be comfortable there, due to his entire personality, Blaine did find himself enjoying staying with his brother, something he didn’t want to fall into. 

Especially as Cooper was 36, and starting to actually become a mature adult, he really didn’t need his younger brother hanging around and mooching off of him.

Three days had passed since Blaine had been back in LA, which so far had consisted of him applying to every job in the area, and doing more open houses than he cared to admit. The one thing he hadn’t done, was text Sebastian.

And he had wanted to. A lot. Very often. But he just didn’t want to come off as clingy, or overly attached, or after something in particular when in reality Blaine had no idea what he wanted. Sebastian was sort of an enigma as well, definitely more evolved since high school - wasn’t everybody, really? - but still seemingly nonchalant and blunt in his actions. Sure, there had been that admittance of his feelings, the talk of his proposal, but god that was 7 years ago, so Blaine wasn’t really holding out hope. 

He knew that a lot of this was overthinking, and sort of ridiculous to be fussing over, but he had been with Kurt for the majority of his life and so just going from that to no one, with no real idea how to navigate other relationships, well - that was hard.

But three days had passed since he’d been back, which means Sebastian would’ve been in LA for over a week now, so Blaine decided to act like the adult that he was and just send him a text, something that normal people did, every single day. He got out his phone and stared at the screen, unlocking it and finding Sebastian’s contact. It had been in there since he was 16, even if it had been deleted and re entered a few times. 

**Blaine Anderson**

hey seb, just thought i’d let you know i’m back in la now, still managing to not strangle my brother in his sleep. if you still wanted to meet up sometime, i’ll be around.

He sent it off with a flutter in his stomach, feeling like a goddamn high schooler texting his crush, and set down his phone with a keen determination to not obsessively check it every five seconds. Obviously, he failed at that, but luckily only a few minutes later a reply came, halting his pacing up and down the room. 

**Sebastian Smythe**

well if you do end up committing a little homicide give me a call, i’m an excellent lawyer you know

**Sebastian Smythe**

also im just leaving work now, do you want to come over? i was planning on ordering in and watching a 2000’s chick flick which sounds pretty up your alley

It was like he could see into his brain, really. The forwardness and spontaneity of it all was a little shocking, but Blaine was honestly a little pleased, as it minimised his time to overthink and made it so much more casual than a forced dinner or something, when right now all he wanted was to relax, and take it easy.

**Blaine Anderson**

well i couldn’t say no to that - send me your address and i’ll come over?

The reply with Sebastian’s address came instantly, and he was pleased to realise it wasn’t too far away, probably only a 20 minute drive, just in a slightly nicer neighborhood. In Cooper’s defense, he had a nice house in a decent area, as his commercial success had just grown since his credit rating gig and now made a pretty hefty living off of different advertisements, but it was still LA, so things just tended to be exponentially expensive at all times. 

Blaine looked down at his outfit, decided not to get in his head about what to wear, and just grabbed his keys from the side and moved to leave the house, determined to get out and go rather than sink into an annoyingly jittery state that would cause him to overthink every little detail. 

“Coop, I’m going out!” There was a surprised noise in return, his brother probably just shocked Blaine was going to willingly socialise for once, but he ran out the front door before he could get cornered and bombarded with way too personal questions that he was never in the mood for. And as he got in his car, mobile map up, he knew he wouldn’t have any answers for him anyway.

~

Sebastian’s apartment was ridiculously nice. 

It wasn’t exactly Blaine’s taste - he would’ve made it a little more homely - but it was still expensive, well decorated, and sophisticated. Blaine remembered that they were adults and that shouldn’t really be too shocking, but both Sam and Cooper’s places were both as if a teenage boy had gone wild with pocket money so it was a bit of a contrast. 

He’d arrived in good time, Sebastian opening the door with a slightly tired smile and suit half off, welcoming him in with a hug as if they’d seen each other every day for years. It was achingly familiar yet Blaine still had that buzzing feeling in his stomach that made him feel, well, _alive_.

They’d gone through to the living room, Sebastian explaining he’d only just got back from work - hence him still in his business attire - but food was on the way, and Blaine was welcome to get comfortable whilst he changed. He didn’t say that he really didn’t mind seeing Sebastian in a shirt with the sleeves rolled up exposing tanned, muscled forearms, and top few buttons undone showing his throat and some collarbone, but he was definitely thinking it as he watched the taller man walk to his bedroom. 

Blaine eyed the surroundings: pretty modern and minimalist decor, not too many personal effects, but a few family photos, some of the Warblers and who he presumed to be college friends, some music and sports memorabilia around that added a little more personality. It was all so refined and particular, just like Sebastian - who maintained he was this open book, but was a lot more guarded than he let on. 

Just as he was finishing thoroughly stalking the apartment with his eyes and trying to estimate the monthly rent because holy _shit_ it was big, Sebastian reentered, wearing sweats and an old t-shirt that were so unbelievably casual that he almost looked like a different person. 

He flopped down next to him on the couch, groaning a little as he stretched his back out in a fairly cat like way. “Even though I don’t hate my job, sometimes it really does kick my ass. At this rate I’ll have a hunchback by the time I’m thirty.” 

Blaine chuckled and raised an eyebrow, legs tucked underneath him. “You realise that’s only a few years away, right? We’re getting old, Smythe.” That earned him a swat on the arm, and a shake of the head, Sebastian looking positively disgusted at the idea of aging. 

“Don’t even joke about that. If I find a grey hair any time soon I'm blaming you, killer. No more free wine and takeout for you.” 

“Oh, so you were planning on making this a regular thing?” Blaine teased, but with a hint of sincerity as he desperately wanted to be right. Sebastian just smiled at him, arm around the back of the couch and dangerously close to his shoulder. 

“I was counting on it.” 

The moment was ruined slightly by the buzzing of the door, Sebastian immediately jumping up to go and get it, declaring himself to be “so fucking starving oh my god”. Blaine settled on the sofa, letting the other man bring the boxes of Chinese over and lay it out on the coffee table, instructing him to eat whatever he wanted as long as he didn’t touch his cashew chicken, and grabbed them some beer. 

Blaine had partly thought he’d been kidding when Sebastian said he’d be watching a 2000’s chick flick, but sure enough Legally Blonde started playing on the tv as they began eating, him turning to give the taller man an amused expression.

“Don’t laugh, Anderson. I’m a lawyer, so this is basically homework for me, ok?” Sebastian said with a mock serious tone, chopsticks full of food which he began to shove in his mouth. It was bizarrely domestic, as they sat with thighs touching, leaning against one another as they laughed at the film, settling in as if they had been old friends for years. 

  
Well, they were acting more like they’d been dating for years, but he didn’t think about that. 

“So, how much of this was like Stanford Law, then?” Blaine asked as the bend and snap was playing on the screen. The food had been finished a while ago, so he was just sitting holding his wine glass, legs tucked under himself. 

Sebastian hummed and waved his hand a bit, with the arm that was over the back of the couch and occasionally stroking over his shoulder. “Eh, there were a lot of characters, I’ll say that. I did get onto a coveted internship as one of the top of my class, but wasn’t propositioned by my professor nor did I go to a party as a playboy bunny, unfortunately.” 

“Well, that’s a shame, you have the legs for it,” Blaine replied with a nudge of the shoulder, which just sort of made him fall closer into Sebastian’s arm, pretty much tucked under him. The taller man took advantage of that by wrapping his hand more solidly around him rather than the back of the couch, pulling him tighter into his body so they were completely flush with each other.

It was a domesticity that Blaine constantly yearned for, lazily cuddling on the couch of an evening, full and sated, easy flow of conversation that didn’t threaten an argument or uncomfortable silence. He tried not to dwell on it, put Sebastian into that role in his head, but it was hard not to when this all felt so right. 

“What about you: was college in New York everything the movies make it out to be? After you moved out of the monstrosity of that wall-less apartment, anyway,” Sebastian chuckled, hand rubbing nonchalant patterns on his shoulder.

“It was great, really. I do love the city, I just couldn’t see myself there for longer, not like Kurt could. It wasn't right for me after I graduated, and I shouldn’t have stayed.” Blaine found it refreshing to speak so honestly and not have to tiptoe around anything with his ex husband, not with Sebastian. “I know a part of me will always regret being married, especially at NYU, but I still had an incredible experience, so I don’t like to dwell on that detail too much.”

Sebastian continued stroking his skin, hand trailing down to his waist as he took a sip of his wine. “You’re still young, B. I know being a divorced twenty six year old probably isn’t how you thought you’d be living, but you’re not even thirty yet; you have over a decade until you’re even middle aged.” He had another drink, before taking Blaine’s glass and putting it and his down on the table, shuffling a little when he sat back so that Blaine found himself wrapped up.

“Don’t let a marriage that was such a small fraction of your life overtake your future, yeah?” Sebastian’s voice was soft, eyes staring down at him with nothing short of affection. Blaine shifted so they could more easily look at one another, letting his hand rest on the other man’s thigh. 

“What are we doing, Sebastian?” he asked quietly, feeling the warm breath of the other man on his face, his expensive, earthy cologne flooding his senses. 

Sebastian lifted his hand to gently cup Blaine’s cheek, thumb swiping over his cheekbone. “Do you care?”

He paused for a second, letting the question wash over him, before he realised that he really didn’t need to think about it.

“No.”

And Blaine let himself close the distance between them, pressing their lips together with the same passion but more control than the first time, hands sliding into hair and tongues connecting. 

He felt Sebastian grasp at his waist, so he obliged to him and climbed into his lap, thighs against thighs as a hand slid up his back. Blaine melted into his touch, giving himself over to Sebastian completely, kisses easing any concerns he had, making all his problems disappear with his touch and Legally Blonde in the background. 

~

Waking up in the morning felt different than it usually did, sheets softer and room brighter than what he was used to. Blaine lifted his head a little and took in the floor to ceiling windows, white bedding and dark furniture, blinking a few times to get a hold of his surroundings, as he remembered where he was and why he wasn’t currently being forced to listen to Cooper singing in the shower. 

The bed next to him was empty again, which was becoming a recurring theme with sleeping with Sebastian, even if this was the first time they’d actually had sex. He remembered being carried to the bedroom, pinned down against the mattress and slowly being opened up, Sebastian teasing and attentive, drawing out breathy moans and begging whines that Blaine didn’t even know he could make. 

They’d drifted off in one another’s arms, sore and tired, but happy, and he found himself smiling at the memories as sounds drifted in from the kitchen. Blaine checked his phone, realising it was only 7am, but fighting the urge to go back to sleep when he realised Sebastian was probably getting ready for work, the one of them who was actually employed. 

He dragged himself up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and stretching out his back as he stood, slowly making his way to the kitchen, wearing just his boxers with a visible hickey just above his hip. 

With the morning light flooding the apartment, Blaine could really see how insane this place was, and immediately felt guilty for wondering if Sebastian’s parents had bought it, reminding himself that the man was probably on a very high salary and could afford something as ridiculous as this place.

The smell of coffee filled his nose as he came into the kitchen, Sebastian standing at the stove cooking breakfast with a fresh pot brewed, looking freshly showered and half dressed in suit trousers and a shirt. He looked ridiculously gorgeous standing there, Blaine’s knees feeling weak. 

He must’ve made a noise coming in, as Sebastian turned when he entered, a smile on his face at the sight of Blaine, who felt a little self conscious under his stare; half naked and hair curly. 

“You know your hair looks so good like that, right?” Sebastian said, turning off the stove before walking over, wrapping his arms around Blaine’s naked waist. “You should leave it natural more often, it’s hot.”

Blaine scrunched his nose and pressed his face into Sebastian's shoulder to avoid showing his embarrassment. “Is’not,” he mumbled into the shirt, “it’s frizzy and annoying.” The taller man just laughed and pressed a kiss to his head, lightly tapping his ass before returning back to the stove, and dishing up two plates.

“I gotta go to work in about half an hour, if that’s alright,” Sebastian said as he carried the plates over to the table, already laid with cutlery. “Hope the breakfast is edible; I grew up a rich kid, so I didn’t even learn how to cook an egg until I was 20, so don’t expect too much.”

Honestly, Blaine was still trying to get over the fact that Sebastian made him breakfast at all; a combination of being a bit groggy from just waking up, as well as, you know, Sebastian. He graciously accepted the mug of coffee handed to him and sat down to eat, stealing glances at the other man when he thought he wasn’t looking. 

He knew they were the same age, but seeing him like this made him just seem so grown up; dressed in a suit to go to work, drinking coffee on an expensive dining room table in a spacious apartment flooded with natural light, he just seemed - sophisticated. As Blaine sat there, only in Spiderman boxers and feeling very unemployed, he couldn’t help but compare their lives and feel a twinge of sadness over how unaccomplished he felt. 

They ate fairly quickly, exchanging playful comments and easy chat, Blaine insisting on clearing the table when they finished, Sebastian coming up behind him to kiss his cheek as he passed him. It was so domestic it made his heart hurt a little, Blaine having to swallow the feeling as he returned to the bedroom to pull on last night’s clothes, which significantly reduced any class he had felt.

Sebastian was shrugging on a suit jacket and doing up his watch when he came in, looking like someone out of a damn GQ spread that made Blaine have to swallow, hard. 

“I have an event tonight annoyingly, but I’m free all weekend, just to let you know,” he said as Blaine tugged on his trousers and t-shirt after rummaging on the floor for them. They really needed to start folding their clothes as they went. “Feel free to text me whenever.”

He spoke casually, but offered up a warm smile, Sebastian not one for overly affectionate words, but clearly showing his feelings through his expressions. Blaine couldn’t help but return the smile, giving a soft nod and feeling his cheeks heat up. 

It was now officially time for Sebastian to get to work, as he rushed around a bit to get his briefcase ready and shove on his shoes, occasionally getting distracted by kissing Blaine or pinching his ass - not that he complained. They walked out the door together, heading towards the parking lot side by side, arms brushing.

“So, I’ll text you?” Blaine said, leaning against his car, playing with the keys between his fingers and feeling like a damn 16 year old after his first date. Sebastian leaned in, pressing a quick kiss on his cheekbone, then the tip of his nose, and finally on his lips, chaste and sweet. It made Blaine’s toes curl. 

“You better, Anderson,” he replied with a wink, giving him one last smile before heading off to his own car, Blaine already missing his touch. 

~

Cooper was trying to get Blaine to run lines with him, saying something about it being an advert with a child so he needed to practice with somebody short, when his phone rang, thankfully tearing him away from the conversation.

He answered, switching on his professional voice as it wasn’t a number in his contacts but was a California area code, and could barely contain his elation as the person on the phone informed him they wanted him to go in for an interview, that afternoon, for the position of 2nd grade teacher. Blaine gladly accepted, saying he would be there at 4pm, and practically ran over to his brother once the call ended. 

“Coop! I got a job interview! For this afternoon, second grade class!” he shouted, words rushing out quickly as his grin covered his whole face and his brother dragged him into a tight hug.

“Way to go, squirt! I told you something would come along soon, they’d be mad not to hire you.” Cooper gave him a slight squeeze then pulled back to ruffle his hair affectionately, smile matching his own. 

“Well, they said the position needs urgently filling, but they’re not looking for a substitute, so hopefully,” Blaine said with a shrug, trying not to get his hopes up too high. In his application he had submitted all the background checks and legalities so if he was hired the process could potentially be fairly fast. “We’ll have to see - I’m gonna go prepare so try and keep the noise down, yeah?”

“No promises!” Cooper shouted as Blaine walked to his room, unable to hide his grin as he itched for his phone to text Sebastian.

~

He had arrived at the school with a quiet confidence, already falling in love with the modern design, poster boards full of messages of acceptance and equality, and fairly young staff as he made his way to the interview room, chatting amicably with the deputy principal leading him.

Blaine knew he was good at job interviews; he excelled at talking to people and was perfectly cut out for being a teacher, but he was still quietly nervous about the whole thing, just so desperate for the position that it was unreal. 

However any nerves clearly hadn’t come across, as the entire two hour long interview and tour had gone flawlessly and the principal had straight up offered him the job when it ended, explaining they needed someone to fill the role as soon as a week’s time, and he not only had all the credentials, but the perfect ‘energy’ for the place. They’d shown him round the buildings, acquainted him with some classrooms, and he had known from the first conversation with a different staff member that he could see himself really belonging there.

As Blaine walked out after graciously accepting the role, he could’ve damn near screamed with happiness, having to remind himself this wasn’t high school and he couldn’t burst into song and dance whenever he wanted.

He fired a text off to Cooper filling him in, and then without even thinking about it called Sebastian, noting it had gone 6pm, so he should’ve finished work. 

_“Hey, Anderson, we didn’t make plans, did we? I just left work, but I can head over if we -”_

“I got a job!” Blaine interrupted, nearly shouting it down the phone and bouncing on his feet, probably grinning like a madman.

_“Are you serious? Well done, B, I’m so proud. I told you you’d get it.”_

A buzz came through and he quickly glanced at the screen, seeing a text from Cooper demanding that they go out to celebrate, and he got a really awful idea. 

“What do you say about going out for a drink? Coop wants to celebrate, and the two of you haven’t met yet. Plus, I’m really feeling in the mood for vodka and an overpriced bar.” Introducing Cooper and Sebastian was one of his more interesting ideas, that had the potential to either go very well or very poorly, and Blaine couldn’t decide which was more likely. 

_“Sounds good to me. I’ll even try and get along with your brother if you want, but I’m just as happy to be a complete asshole to him, as well: this is your night.”_

“We’ll see how it goes, you never know with Coop, so let’s just play it by ear. I’ll see where he wants to go and I’ll text you the details?”

_“Alright, killer, see you soon, and wear something tight.”_

Blaine could almost hear his wink through the phone, as he chuckled and said a light-hearted “goodbye Seb,” before ending the call, texting Cooper to ask for details. 

~

“And then I told the kid if he didn’t pull himself together and ride the bike, I was gonna push him off it, and for some reason that got me kicked off the set?”

Blaine was chuckling into his drink as Cooper was recounting some of his audition stories to Sebastian, wildly flapping his arms around in the booth they were sat in and damn near poking their eyes out. His brother was in the middle of telling them about a commercial he was trying out for that involved children, shouting rather loudly over the music of the bar ignoring any disgruntled looks. He was good at that.

Sebastian had an arm slung around his shoulder, leaning into his side slightly with this spare hand holding his beer on the table, eyebrows raised at Cooper and looking like he was trying to bite back a laugh. 

They had arrived in the early evening, Blaine and his brother grabbing a table and some drinks as he filled him in on his interview, still practically buzzing from the good news. Sebastian had arrived not long after them, greeting Blaine with a tight hug, Cooper with a firm handshake, and had slotted into their booth comfortably, fitting right into their conversation easily. 

If Blaine had been worried about the two of them getting on, he shouldn’t have been. 

Both Sebastian and Cooper were charismatic, but unlike everyone else in his life, Sebastian didn’t fall victim to his brother's charms and ignored his complete idiocy, which was more refreshing than Blaine would care to admit, as he never once felt like the third wheel in the conversation. And Cooper seemed to actually like Sebastian, unlike how he had felt about Blaine’s ex husband, talking sports and Hollywood, not seeming to mind too much he wasn’t being fawned over. 

“You know, when I was a kid, I used to ask my parents if I could be a child actor,” Sebastian said after Cooper had finally shut up, taking a sip of his beer. “They said that it was tacky and tasteless though, even if I only wanted to do it ‘cause I was an attention seeking little shit.”

Blaine laughed at that, imagining a young Sebastian throwing a tantrum because he wanted the spotlight, prodding a finger into his side. “Past tense? Pretty sure you still love attention, Smythe.” He chuckled as Sebastian pinched his arm under the table in protest, Cooper just nodding across from them.

“I think you would’ve made a good child actor, could’ve been in Home Alone, or like, a horror movie where the kid is possessed.” His brother looked Sebastian up and down seeming pleased with his assessment, Blaine now unable to stop laughing at the image. 

Sebastian pointed at Cooper, shaking his head and with a mock angry face. “You’ve just confirmed your place as my least favourite Anderson. I was gonna get you a beer, but you just lost your drink privileges.” He stood up with their empty glasses, shuffling out the booth, Blaine missing his warmth immediately. “Same again, killer?”

He nodded, feeling those damn butterflies in his stomach again when Sebastian smiled down at him and winked, before heading off to the bar for the third time that night, refusing to let Blaine pay for any drinks as he insisted they were there to celebrate him. 

“So, you wanna give me all the details about what’s going on there?” Cooper asked as soon as Sebastian was out of earshot, elbows on the table and chin on his hand, grinning like a maniac. “‘Cause you two crazy kids have not taken your eyes off of each other all night.”

Trust his brother to be as invested in his love life as ever, seemingly unable to keep himself out of Blaine’s business for a second - in fact, he was surprised Cooper hadn’t asked him that when Sebastian was sat right there.

“We’re friends, you know he went to Dalton, and he’s the only person around here apart from you that I actually know, so…” Blaine trailed off, not even convincing himself let alone his brother who snorted in disbelief at him. “Fine, we’ve hooked up a few times and I like him, but I’m also not exactly going to rush into anything; I haven’t even been divorced a year, Coop.”

“True, but you and Kurt were separated long before you were divorced, kid, even if you didn’t want to admit it. I know you, and I see the way you look at this guy, and you seem happy, which is all I want for you.” The honesty and affection in his tone always surprised Blaine, his brother occasionally saying something kind and smart that was probably only 25% acting practice. “And trust me, I’ve never seen anyone look at you the way that he does, so don’t let that go.”

Blaine stared a little, mind racing and unsure what to say, luckily saved from his lack of response by Sebastian returning the table, three drinks between his two hands. 

“Fucking ‘buy two get a third free’, but you’re still not getting one,” Sebastian grumbled as he hoarded two glasses for himself, ignoring Cooper’s affronted gasp and settling back into his place beside Blaine. “You can walk up and get your own damn drink, saying I look like a horror movie child.”

“Whatever, Damien from The Omen,” Cooper teased, reaching out and swiping one of the drinks whilst Sebastian was distracted putting his arm back around Blaine and cackling. The two of them continued playfully bickering, flicking napkins across the table and exchanging LA horror stories from their years in the city, Blaine happy to just sit, nestled under Sebastian’s arm and listen. 

They stayed at the bar for another couple of hours steadily drinking and chatting, Blaine’s face aching from smiling and sides hurting from laughing, his life finally starting to feel like it was slotting into place after so long being in disarray. 

~

Cooper fumbled with the keys in the door, pushing into his house and yelling a goodnight at the two of them as he staggered to his room, probably about to pass out fully clothed on his bed, inevitably causing him to complain the next morning when Blaine wouldn’t tuck him in. 

He and Sebastian stood by the door, arms still around each other for support and leaning into each other’s sides, and he could feel the taller man pressing light kisses into his hair, making his way down towards his face.

“Do you, uh, wanna watch TV?” Blaine found himself asking as Sebastian walked him backwards into the house, kicking the door closed behind them, hands trailing down his waist. 

“Is TV really what’s on your mind right now, Anderson?” Sebastian’s voice was deep, murmuring in his ear and causing his knees to almost buckle, his skin feeling electrified by the grip of his fingers. 

Blaine swallowed and tilted his head back to allow access to his neck as they continued walking into the house, almost tripping as they went. “No, not really,” he said, biting back a moan as Sebastian nibbled on his earlobe, as he _really_ didn’t want Cooper coming out and seeing this. 

When the taller man dropped one hand down to his ass and swiped his tongue across his pulse point, Blaine gave up any pretence that they weren’t about to go to his room and rip each other’s clothes off, so just grabbed Sebastian by the hand and dragged him to his bedroom, shoving open the door and slamming it behind them.

He yanked off his top as soon as he was in the room, fumbling with his own belt with clumsy fingers in his impatience, Sebastian stripping himself off as well, with a similar feverence, the two of them getting down to their underwear quickly in desperation to touch each other again. Blaine found himself being pushed back onto the bed, warm hands nudging his chest and guiding him to the mattress, until he was lying flat on his back, staring up at green eyes darkened with lust. 

Sebastian had a thigh between his own, his firm torso pressing against his own chest with burning skin and an intoxicating pressure, and Blaine knew he would never get sick of the way their bodies fit together with an unmatched perfectness. Kisses were pressed onto his neck, travelling up his jaw and below his ear in the place Sebastian knew made his eyes roll back in his head, hips bucking desperate for friction. 

“You want me to show you how proud of you I am, B?” Sebastian purred against his ear before dragging the lobe between his teeth, grinding his hips down teasingly slow, one hand drifting down to his waistband. “Or should I say: Mr Anderson?”

Blaine crashed their lips together, a hand gripped in Sebastian’s hair to tilt his head as he swiped his tongue across his lower lip, moaning into his mouth as the taller man slipped beneath his boxers and wrapped long fingers around his cock. 

“I’ll show you how we should’ve been celebrating all night, what I’ve been wanting to do since the second I saw you in those trousers which are _unfairly_ fucking tight,” Sebastian continued as he pulled back slightly, murmuring against his lips as his hand teased him, excrutiatingly slow. 

He shuffled down, doing what he always seemed to want to do to Blaine, which was kiss and bite down his torso, nipping at his stomach and sucking marks on his hips, claiming his body and almost worshipping it, small bites and licks of affection which just drove Blaine crazy, small breathy pants spilling out his mouth. 

“If we’re celebrating, do you have to be such a fucking _tease,_ Seb,” he whined, tugging his own boxers down before fumbling in the dresser next to him, grabbing the small bottle of lube and a condom, and needily tossing them down the bed.

Sebastian peered up at him through his lashes, licking a hot stripe up his inner thigh, thumb swiping over the head of his cock. “Well you’ve been teasing me all night, looking like that.” He finished tugging off Blaine’s underwear and reached for the lube, beginning to move his wrist slightly, relieving some of his desperations. 

“God, please hurry up, I want you,” Blaine moaned as his fingers gripped into the bedsheets, the sight of the taller man applying the lube to his hand, now removed from his cock, driving him wild, craving his touch. Sebastian moved his head forward, ghosting kisses around his groin, before gently pushing in a finger, moving slowly and carefully. 

Blaine felt his eyes roll back in his head, every kiss and twist lighting his body on fire, feeling Sebastian lick up his cock and then gradually add another finger, pushing in achingly slow. 

“I’m not going to fucking break, Seb.” He spat the words out between deep moans, breath hitching whenever Sebastian crooked a finger, grinning up at him whilst his head was in his mouth, with black eyes and swollen lips. 

He scissored his fingers, pushing in slightly deeper and sucking on the tip of his cock, tongue fluttering in a way that made a noise come out of his mouth Blaine didn’t even kniw he could make, grinding his hips down hard to increase the pressure, half moons dug into his palms. Sebastian added a third finger, moving more assertively now, stretching him out before removing them all too quickly, Blaine whining at the loss. 

The condom wrapper was ripped open and discarded on the floor next to the bed, Sebastian swiftly rolling it onto himself and falling onto his hand placed next to Blaine’s head, arm outstretched. Heat from their bodies radiated onto one another, itching for their chests to be flush and hips to be connected, teasingly close. 

Blaine felt Sebastian line himself up, their eyes meeting in the dark room but the taller man’s face lit up from the soft light provided by the glow of a lamp, his sharp cheekbones highlighted along with his dusting of freckles, some hidden under the sweeping of hair fallen on his forehead. 

He looked beautiful. 

“You’re beautiful,” Blaine breathed out in a whisper, not even sure if it was audible as Sebastian pushed in, the slight initial burn immediately taken over by pleasure as he adjusted to the size, the taller man squeezing his eyes shut and mouth dropping open, a vision of ecstasy. 

“Fuck, B,” he groaned, deep and gutteral, hands moving to touch his body anywhere that he could, somewhat stationary until Blaine ground down his hips with a moan, encouraging him to move. Sebastian pulled nearly all the way out before snapping back in, fingers bruising into one hip and the other almost cupping his face, pressing their bodies as close together as he could. 

Blaine noticed that Sebastian always wanted to be close during sex, no matter the position; intertwining their fingers, chests together, long kisses and tangled feet. It initially was a bit of a surprise, but he realised that he wouldn’t want it any other way, craving his touch and as much of his skin as he could, feeling his cock trapped between their bodies as he was pinned onto the mattress, waves of pleasure rolling over him. 

Without warning Sebastian pulled out, tucking a hand under Blaine’s back and lightly lifting so that he found himself rolled onto his front, face against the cushions and automatically raising his hips to grant easier access. The taller man groaned at the sight, one hand trailing over his ass and squeezing, before settling his body down and pushing in again, his chest against Blaine’s back, hip bones jutting into the soft flesh of his ass.

The sounds filling the room would normally make Blaine blush, the obscene slapping noises, but they just spurred him on, rocking back in time with the thrusts as Sebastian buried his face in his neck, occasionally kissing and nibbling. A hand was on his ass, kneading into the skin as Sebastian’s movements got more irregular, falling out of his usual rhythm. 

“Feel so fucking good, B, so good for me,” he muttured, nuzzling closer into Blaine’s neck and moving his free hand to underneath their bodies, the angle a little awkward but managing to wrap his fingers around his cock from where it was rutting against the bedsheets. The combination of finally being touched and having Sebastian drive into him pushed Blaine to the edge, crying out with a loud moan as his orgasm shook through him with little warning, eyes squeezed shut and muffling his noises into the pillow. 

Sebastian was close behind as his hips stuttered, thrusts becoming slower as he rode out his own climax until he eventually flopped down on top of Blaine, skin glowing with a light sheen of sweat. They were still for a moment, just the sounds of their heavy breathing filling the room as they lay there, fingers lazily intertwined with one another. It was a peace that Blaine treasured, relishing in their solitude and comfort in one another. 

Eventually Sebastian moved, sitting up to dispose of the condom and grabbed some tissue to idly wipe them down, before tossing both of their boxers over to slip into. Blaine tugged him down into the bed as soon as the underwear was over his hips, too tired to even speak as he wrapped them up together under the duvet, snaking his arms around Sebastian’s waist and burying his nose into his neck, asleep as their legs tangled together and a series of light kisses were pressed onto his forehead. 

~

After that night, he and Sebastian started seeing each other more regularly - Blaine often dropping by his apartment in the evenings or grabbing lunch together in the day, making the most of the last of his free time before starting at the school. Sebastian even came over to Cooper’s again, apparently willing to put up with his brother in order to be with Blaine, cooking together or watching shitty movies before spending the night. 

They never spoke about what they were; Blaine was too afraid to jinx what they had.

He knew it was slightly ridiculous, as they ended up spending more nights together than not, day trips to sights around LA that Blaine had never gotten to see, and Sebastian even came and collected him after his first day at his new job, taking him out to dinner as a congratulations. Two months had passed, and they had seen each other nearly everyday, exchanging kisses and touches, even terms of affection. Essentially, they were in a relationship without actually being in one, although Blaine had no idea how to broach the subject. 

He was aware that realistically, as a twenty six year old man, he should just be able to ask Sebastian, the man he spent nearly every day with, about the status of their relationship, but things were just going too well to risk ruining. The previous day, he had been over to the taller man’s apartment after he finished at work, and had just sat at his dining room table lesson planning, Sebastian going through a case next to him, soft music playing and homemade dinner in front of them. 

It was so unbelievably perfect, and it terrified him that he never wanted it to end.

They had plans for the next weekend to finish the list of museums that Blaine wanted to visit in the area, and he was just finalising the details after work when his phone rang next to him.

_“Hey killer, you got plans this evening?”_

Blaine smiled at the sound of Sebastian’s voice, used to his abrupt ways of starting phone calls by now. “Nope, was just going to stay in with Cooper probably, why?”

_“Well, I literally just remembered that I have a work event tonight: a social mixer type thing, with suits and ties and all that, and partners are invited, so if it’s not too short notice, do you want to come? It’s not for about three hours or so, so there’s plenty of time for you to put all that gel in your hair, even though you really shouldn’t.”_

He blinked a few times, the word ‘partner’ just repeatedly flashing through his head non stop, everything else kind of falling out of focus. “Um, yeah, no yeah, that sounds great!” he managed to reply, clearing his throat a little. “Text me over the details so I have them down?”

_“Of course. I won’t be able to be home long, so do you mind if we meet there? Don’t worry I’ll try and arrive before you do, so you don’t have to talk to all the stuck up lawyers.”_

Blaine chuckled a little, imagining Sebastian’s little eye roll when discussing his coworkers he pretended to hate. “Sounds good. I’ll see you there, I guess.”

_“Perfect, can’t wait to see you, handsome.”_

The call disconnected, and Blaine was thankful he was already sitting down because he was fairly sure he would’ve fallen on his ass if he wasn’t. ‘Partner’ wasn’t exactly anything groundbreaking in regards to terms of affection, but it was a closer confirmation than anything he’d had before; Sebastian saying it so confidently and casually, as if he hadn’t even needed to think about it. 

Blaine’s heart fluttered with the idea that maybe for the other man, they’d never needed to discuss it, because to him their relationship had been obvious, not overthinking every little detail obsessively.

He checked his phone when the message with all the details pinged through, chuckling at Sebastian’s message to wear something ‘hot’, and headed to his room to try and find something appropriate to put on for a room full of rich lawyers, and somehow not look like an elementary school teacher.

~

Blaine had never been inside of Sebastian’s office building before, partly out of mild fear of the place, and also because there had never really been a reason to step in; when they met for lunch, the taller man insisted spending as little time in the firm as he could. Dressed in a simple black suit with a green tie, he walked into the lobby, waiting for Sebastian to come down and meet him, as the other man had already arrived. 

He wasn’t particularly sure what to expect for the evening, just knowing it was for the junior and senior partners, members of staff around the firm, and a few clients; nothing serious, just something social, although he still didn’t know what that meant. At his work the social events were parent teacher conferences, so there wasn’t much to go on there. 

Ahead of him he saw Sebastian round the corner, face brightening when he saw Blaine, looking unfairly handsome in a tailored deep grey suit, somehow more attractive each day. Blaine was a pretty confident guy, but next to Sebastian it was hard not to feel second best sometimes, the breath getting knocked out of him.

“You know I said to wear something hot, but I didn’t mean turn up looking so handsome that you make me look bad, Anderson,” Sebastian said with a smile, leaning down to lightly kiss his cheek as he approached. “I apologise in advance for this evening, lawyers are kind of boring, so you’re here to be my entertainment and stop me blowing my brains out.”

Blaine chuckled, accepting his outstretched hand and let himself be led down towards the elevator. “Glad I could be of service; you want me to sing and dance for you, as well?”

“Your ass will be enough, killer, don’t worry about that,” Sebastian teased as they got into the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor. “Seriously though, if you wanna leave at any time, just say the word. I figured I should make an appearance, but after a quick round we can dip.”

Blaine appreciated the sentiment, leaning in to press a light kiss to his shoulder and inhaling that comforting familiar scent of Sebastian’s cologne as they approached their floor. “I’m sure it’ll be ok, I’m great at talking to middle aged women, so I’ll fit right in.”

They shared a warm smile as the door opened, the sound of light chatter and piano music filling the air as they both stepped out, Sebastian’s hand on his lower back. He led him over to a group of people all probably in their early 30’s, exchanging handshakes and pleasant greetings, whilst Sebastian’s were a little more familiar. 

“You must be the famous Blaine then, this guy never shuts up about you, you know?” an attractive blonde woman said, laughing as Sebastian gave her a threatening look. “It would probably be creepy if he wasn’t so sweet about it, but maybe double check he’s not a serial killer for the future.”

“Ok so that’s Lauren, great, moving on,” Sebastian interrupted loudly, an adorable blush forming on his cheeks that Blaine didn’t think he’d ever seen before. He didn’t even think the taller man was capable of experiencing embarrassment. 

They continued chatting to the group for a while, Blaine finding out they were the junior partners that Sebastian mainly worked with; they were the closest to his age and work role, and their relationship seemed friendly and relaxed, not as stuffy as Sebastian had described to him. The hand on his lower back remained a constant, Sebastian’s thumb sometimes rubbing soft circles or leaning into his side, small touches meant to reassure and comfort him, wordlessly affectionate and thoughtful. 

After a while they moved around, talking to various different people amicably, Sebastian clearly getting more and more bored as time progressed, entertaining himself by lightly kissing Blaine’s face and entwining their hands. It was so public - in front of all his coworkers and clients, and Blaine found himself never once scared by the prospect or uncomfortable, simply craving his touch more. 

“Hey, B, what do you say if we just talk to my boss, then leave? Don’t think I can take anymore of this,” Sebastian groaned, stretching out his neck after their 5th conversation in a row about ‘the economy’. Blaine was sympathetic; they’d both been at work all day, and currently the thought of lying on the couch watching shitty tv was very appealing. 

“Sure, it’s up to you,” he replied sweetly, not wanting to cut into Sebastian’s evening even though he was well aware that if they stayed much longer the taller man would probably snap the glass he was holding. They approached an older gentleman at the side of the room, grabbing another drink from the makeshift bar. 

“Mr Jameson? Thought I’d say hi before we leave,” Sebastian announced as they approached who appeared to be one of the senior partners of Jameson and Nichols, Blaine recognising the name as the man who Sebastian worked directly for. “This is Blaine, my partner.”

The older man, probably about his father's age, smiled at him and shook his hand firmly. “Lovely to meet you, I’d heard rumours about Smythe here finally managing to get someone to date him but it’s nice to put a face to it. What is it that you do?”

Blaine was mainly pleased that this man hadn’t turned out to be a conservative homophobe as he had feared he would, but the fact that he had been mentioned around the firm so much that Sebastian’s boss had noticed sent an undeniable warmth through him. “I’m a teacher, I just started at Sunnyfields Elementary school a few weeks ago,” Blaine said, relieved he finally had a job he could say rather than awkwardly explain he was ‘in between work’ like he had to up until recently. 

“He’s an excellent teacher, all the kids love him.” Sebastian smiled down with nothing short of pride on his face, hand stroking up and down his spine. 

His boss raised an eyebrow at them, looking knowingly over the rim of his glass. “I’m sure they’re not the only ones.” Blaine coughed a little, fingers tensing around the champagne flute at Mr Jameson’s words, who clearly knew exactly what he had said. “Lovely to meet you, Blaine, and to see you so happy, Sebastian. If you’ll excuse me, I have some clients to schmooze.” He gave them a final smile and nod, moving past them into the crowd. 

“So, that was my boss,” Sebastian sighed, checking his watch for the time. “Wanna get out of here, then? I took the train, so we can take your car back to mine, if you like.”

“Sure,” Blaine replied whilst leaning into his touch, letting himself be kissed gently and then they headed out the building, a few chaste goodbyes and promises to have drinks soon given. 

They reached his car parked down the road, Blaine starting the engine and automatically driving over to Sebastian’s house, the route firm muscle memory to him at this point, the amount he had frequented the apartment recently. 

“It wasn’t too horrible, right?” Sebastian asked, fingers drumming on the plastic underneath the window. “Sorry again for how short notice it was, I just... just wanted you to meet people.” He gave a light shrug as he spoke, that rare timidness coming back that was just so unfamiliar on his frame, not the blunt confidence he usually exuded. 

Blaine let his free hand rest on his thigh, the other on the steering wheel. “It was lovely, Seb. I liked getting introduced to everyone. Especially now I know you talk about me so much,” he teased, laughing at Sebastian’s affronted eye roll. 

“They’re lawyers, they all lie, can’t listen to a word that they say.” 

“You know it’s your job to tell the truth, right? You’re literally defending the law.”

Sebastian flipped him off and bit back a laugh, staring out the window with his lip quirked. “Shut up, Anderson, never showing you off ever again.” 

He chuckled slightly, turning the radio up as they drove the rest of the way to Sebastian’s apartment, enjoying the comfortable silence as they went. His place wasn’t too far away so he pulled up not too long after, the two of them climbing out and heading inside, hands loosely entwined as they made their way into the building and up to the apartment. 

Once inside, Sebastian stripped off his jacket and undid some of his shirt buttons, Blaine following suit before they collapsed on the sofa, the taller man lying on his back with Blaine finding himself almost curled up on top. 

“Thank you for bringing me,” he said after a moment of silence, the TV playing some real housewives show as they relaxed into one another. Blaine sighed, and felt a small amount of courage as he played with the open fabric of Sebastian’s shirt, exposing freckled skin. “You said it was for partners, and we’d never really discussed labels or what we are or anything…”

He trailed off slightly, not too sure how to phrase what he wanted to say. Beneath him, Sebastian sat up a little and cupped his chin, lifting Blaine’s face so that their eyes met. “Was that ok? We’ve never had that ‘official’ discussion, but I always just sort of assumed with the way the last few months have gone, we were properly seeing each other?” There was a flash of insecurity on his face, looking down at Blaine with slightly worried eyes. 

“I know, me too, I just, it was nice to hear you say it I guess, nice to be shown off to your coworkers as someone you’re serious about, that we’re not just messing around or whatever,” he mumbled, biting at his lip.

“Blaine, it’s never just been messing around for me, not with you,” Sebastian said softly as his thumb swiped across his cheekbone. “I know you’re just out of a marriage, so I didn’t want to pressure you into anything, but believe me when I say I’m serious about you, and don’t plan on stopping.”

Those words of affirmation lit him up from the inside, the relief of no expectations but confidence in his feelings everything Blaine needed right now, so he lightly pressed their lips together, feeling the other man smile against his mouth.

“I’m serious about you, Seb, and I want to take this further, even if I may need a little time and a little patience every now and again.”

Sebastian leaned down to kiss him again, strong hands firmly wrapped around him. “B, for you, I have all the time in the world.”

~

_One Year Later_

Dalton looked the same as it did on it’s one year anniversary as it had done on that very first day that they all came back to see it reopened, just now with more students and life breathed into it, a brand new group of Warblers performing in the courtyard as the alumni looked on and watched with a mixture of admiration and jealousy, wanting to be up there with them. 

It was an official anniversary, but Blaine, Sebastian, and the rest of their old Warbler friends had all agreed to try and come back every year if they could anyway, maintain contact and have a reason to see another again, even when Dalton would stop hosting events. Even Sam had come along - Nick inviting him as an ‘honorary Warbler’, whatever that meant, but Blaine wasn’t going to complain at being able to see his best friend more. 

He and Sebastian were stood with their old friends, amicably chatting away and catching up, similar to the year before but this time Blaine had an arm around his waist and they leaned against one other, occasionally exchanging kisses which still made Nick cheer. 

They’d been dating officially ever since Sebastian’s law party, a relationship so fulfilling and happy that Blaine didn’t even recognise himself sometimes, enveloped in a contentment and bliss that felt unreal. It was still exciting and kind of spontaneous at times, not fully settling into a domestic routine and wasting their youth, but still having a warmth and intimacy that was a constant comfort. 

Blaine had moved into his own apartment, tempted by the idea of moving in with his boyfriend but just wanting his own space for a bit, not with a partner or his brother, but somewhere to call his own and clutter with his own useless vintage store finds he had collected over the years. He realised as his year long lease drew to a close that he had spent more time at Sebastian’s apartment during his tenancy anyway, so was moving into his apartment next month, to his boyfriend’s delight (even if he wouldn’t admit it). 

And unlike the beginning of their relationship, every morning he woke up to Sebastian’s arms around him, the taller man now comfortable enough in their intimacy to allow his shields to be fully down, vulnerable and open as they could lay in bed together, limbs tangled and lazily kissing.

Their cat, Archibald, sometimes ruined the moment.

He looked at his friends, Nick and Jeff telling Thad about their winter skiing trip that ended in hospitalisation, Sam and Sebastian deep in some baseball related conversation that was both somehow dorky and sporty, Beatz filling Wes in on even _more_ Hunter anecdotes (something about Mr Puss stealing bread from the kitchen?) and felt a deep relaxation sweep over him, none of the tension he’d felt the year before.

Unlike last time, fresh out of a divorce, unemployed, crashing with his brother and not having any sense of belonging, he was comfortable in his life and surrounded by loved ones and his own success, thriving in his job and relationships. 

“You ok there?” Sebastian whispered in his ear, a kiss pressed to his cheek lightly. Blaine rested his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder, a protective and comfortable arm around his waist. 

“I’m perfect,” he replied, and he knew that he meant it.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks u sm for reading!!! i am killer-leo on tumblr :)


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